It’s been a strong year so far, with most sharemarkets performing well despite some volatility along the way. The S&P 500 index in the US is up 14.1 per cent, ahead of its long-term average of about ten per cent. The UK and Europe are also up solidly so far, returning about six per cent…

The price of petrol and diesel is in the headlines again as prices move close to the peaks we saw back when the Iran conflict first broke out. While the petrol price impacts most consumers directly when they fill up at the pump, the diesel price could ultimately have a longer lasting impact on household…

In recent weeks and months, the NZ dollar has weakened against many of our trading partners. It’s doing exactly what you’d expect it to against a shifting economic backdrop and widening interest rate differentials between ourselves and other countries. However, whether these moves are good or bad depends on your perspective. The trade-weighted index, which…

One New Zealand company now represents 20% of the NZX 50 index. For those looking to passively invest in the domestic market, this represents a significant concentration risk from a portfolio perspective. While concentration is not just a New Zealand phenomenon, having a single company influence such a big part of the overall market is…

Last week the US Federal Reserve, the world’s most influential central bank, increased interest rates for the first time since 2023. The 0.25 per cent increase took its policy rate to a range of 3.75–4.00 per cent and it looks to have marked the beginning of another interest rate “hiking cycle”. This is the eighth…

Global bond yields have been heading higher, and some of the numbers we’re seeing are quite eye-catching. The US 30-year Treasury yield ended last week at 5.4 per cent, its highest level since 2007. The more closely followed 10-year Treasury yield is just below the 16-year high of 5.0 per cent it touched three years…

In a world obsessed with ‘now’ thinking 50 years ahead can be very challenging for many of us, let alone for teenagers. But long-term thinking is exactly what makes investing so powerful. That’s why it’s so important to start early and build good habits, even if it’s just a few dollars at a time. Extending…

This article was originally published on Newsroom. From handing over the farm to avoiding ‘trust fund babies’, inheritance and succession planning can be far from simple. The biggest threat facing New Zealanders ahead of an inheritance boom isn’t tax policy, but their own discomfort talking honestly about money. Quinton de Bruin, who advises clients on…

We investment types love putting things into categories or themes, and shares are no exception. Two of the most common labels are “growth” and “value”, which are terms investors have used for decades to describe different types of companies and investment styles. A growth stock is a company where revenues and profits are expected to…

There’s just ten weeks until the New Zealand election, and things are getting interesting. The rise of the Opportunity Party in the polls has added another layer of uncertainty to the range of potential outcomes. So much so that prediction markets and some Australian bookmakers now have Labour as the favourite to lead the next…