Kiwibank has been in the news again, with the Government announcing it will consider tapping KiwiSaver funds and other large investors for another $500 million of capital. Our state-owned bank has long been touted as a candidate for an initial public offering (IPO), which means a sharemarket listing which would make it available to anyone…

There’s plenty to monitor across the world this week. Flash PMIs for December will be out early in the week, while another highlight will be the PCE inflation report in the US on Friday. There are three major central banks meetings taking place, with the Federal Reserve in the US expected to cut interest rates…

Financial markets are difficult to predict, especially over short timeframes, and in investing terms 12 months is extremely short. I don’t have a lot of faith in forecasts, predictions or targets, so it’s a bit hypocritical of me to be offering them. However, I have equally little time for analysts that sit firmly on the…

This week the global highlight will be the November CPI report in the US on Wednesday. This will be closely watched as investors look ahead to the final Federal Reserve meeting of the year next week, where the central bank is expected to reduce interest rates another 0.25 per cent. Markets will also be watching…

It’s been a good year for the local sharemarket. The NZX 50 index is up 11.0 per cent so far, which sees it on track for its best year in four. Most of our biggest companies have performed well, but one notable exception is Spark. It’s share price is down more than 40 per cent…

This week is a busy one in terms of international economic releases. The focus will be on the US jobs report, which is out on Friday. This will be a key piece of the puzzle ahead of the Fed’s next decision on December 18 (where markets see a 65% chance of another 0.25% cut). We’ll…

The US sharemarket has pushed higher since the election, building on the strong gains we saw leading up to it. The S&P 500 index is up 27 per cent (including dividends) so far in 2024, on the back of a similar rise last year. Despite the 60 per cent return since the end of 2022,…

The final RBNZ meeting of 2024 is on Wednesday. Markets expect another 50-basis point cut, but could the RBNZ go bigger or smaller? We’ll also get the retail sales report for the September quarter, and the latest monthly ANZ Business Outlook. There will be plenty to watch on the corporate front too, with a raft…

There’s a lot of excitement out there amongst borrowers, particularly those with a mortgage renewal coming up. The message boards are full of people speculating on how low rates will go, and strategising how to play it for maximum advantage. While the optimism is justified, some caution applies as well. If you’re in the midst…

November flash PMIs will be among the key international releases, with these due from most of the major economies on Friday. Investors will also be watching inflation readings from the UK and Japan, while there is a long list of central bank speakers. The world’s most valuable share, NVIDIA, reports on Wednesday and we’ll also…