The US has found itself under increased scrutiny this year, with markets questioning whether it deserves to be on a pedestal. Its success has been built on foundations of free enterprise and trade, the rule of law and strong immigration. Those pillars have been supported by the traditional safety of US Treasury bonds, independent monetary…

We have a lot of clients from farming backgrounds, either past or present. They’re great people, and many have spent decades overcoming a plethora of challenges to build very successful businesses. When the time comes to think beyond the farm, investing in a portfolio dominated by shares, listed property, private equity and fixed income doesn’t always come…

This week will be an extremely busy one, both internationally as well as here in New Zealand. The latest Reserve Bank of New Zealand decision will be the main event locally, and while another cut to the Official Cash Rate is widely expected, markets will be interested in any clues about how many more cuts…

Intra-year sharemarket drawdowns (that’s financial jargon for the peak to trough decline) like the one we saw in March and April aren’t uncommon. In fact, a fall of at least five per cent at some point during any given year is extremely likely. In the 76 calendar years since 1950, there have been just five…

It was a strong week global sharemarkets, with a 90-day trade truce between the US and China setting the positive tone early on. The S&P 500 in the US surged 5.3%, which saw it storm back into positive territory for the year and finish just 3.0% below its record high from February (having been down…

After slumping close to 19 per cent in the wake of the “Liberation Day” announcements in early April, the US sharemarket has come roaring back to life over the past few weeks. A 90-day pause on tariffs for most countries a week after the initial proposals spurred the initial recovery, but the biggest news came…

This week we’ll be watching economic indicators for signs of any impact from the tariff announcements in early April, with US inflation and retail sales of particular interest. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell is speaking on Thursday in Washington, D.C. and markets will be monitoring the outcome of trade talks between US Treasury Secretary Scott…

There has been increasing talk of a US recession in recent weeks, with one major global bank suggesting the odds of this are 60 per cent. It’s certainly possible if harsh tariffs remain in place, although the outlook could brighten quickly if we see further de-escalation. Recessions are an inevitable part of the business cycle,…

A lot of people are frustrated with US President Donald Trump, but there’s one who has a more genuine case than most. That’s Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, and it’s not just because Trump wants to fire him. Until recently it looked like Powell and the Fed might’ve done the impossible, or at least the…

It’s a big week for economic data releases in the US, with the jobs report due on Friday, the ISM manufacturing index and core PCE inflation report ahead of that, as well as the preliminary GDP reading for the March quarter. Here in New Zealand, we’ll be watching the latest monthly ANZ Business Outlook survey…