Market & Portfolio Update - April 2019
Market & Portfolio Update - April 2019
April saw global share markets continue the strong performance that we have seen so far this year. Global markets have now returned an impressive 17% since the start of the year, having now recovered from the volatility we saw towards the end of the 2018.
Europe was the strongest performing of the developed markets, benefiting from stronger than expected GDP growth. GDP for the Euro bloc was up 0.4% for the first quarter of 2019, a growth rate faster than what we saw in the second half of last year.
Towards the end of March, the Reserve Bank of New Zealand announced that the next change in the Official Cash Rate was likely to be down, catching many in the market by surprise. The update caused interest rates across the range of maturities to fall along with the New Zealand Dollar. The fall in the NZ Dollar helps NZ’s export sector along with investors like yourselves with overseas assets that are now worth more as a result.
Disclaimer: This article has been prepared for the purpose of providing general information, without taking into consideration any particular investor’s objectives, financial situation or needs. Any opinions contained in it are held as at the report date and are subject to change without notice. This document is solely for the use of the party to whom it is provided.
The magic of the managed fund
Let’s talk about shares for a minute. No matter how you invest, there are really just two ways to make money from owning shares:
1. You receive a slice of the profits (called dividends), or
2. You sell your shares to someone else for more than you paid (that’s capital gain).
That’s it. Anything else is simply a different way of packaging those two outcomes.
What is Life Insurance?
Life insurance is one of those things that many people know they should probably have but they’re not quite sure what it does, how it works, or whether it’s actually relevant to them. This article breaks it down in clear, everyday terms to help you understand the basics before you decide if it’s something worth exploring further.