Market & Portfolio Update - August 2021
Global share markets were up over 3% in local currency terms for the month, but with the NZ dollar strengthening against most major currencies, this performance was slightly offset for NZ based investors. The US markets led global markets again, with the insurance sector being one of the best performing sectors. The Booster portfolios have been overweight US insurers since February.
The US market was also supported by the US central bank indicating they are likely to be more patient with raising interest rates than what the market was expecting. Although they did suggest reducing the size of their quantitative easing program later this year, provided the economy continues to make substantial further progress.
The New Zealand share market saw the latest round of financial reporting where companies report either their half year or full year financial results. Overall, the results were strong, with the majority of companies coming in ahead of the market’s expectations, reiterating the strength of New Zealand’s economic recovery.
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.