Invest
Economy snapshot highlights mixed signals for investors
Strong growth in the equity markets combined with weak bond yields is sending investors contradictory signals, a number of fund managers have said.
Economy snapshot highlights mixed signals for investors
Strong growth in the equity markets combined with weak bond yields is sending investors contradictory signals, a number of fund managers have said.
The uncertainty facing investors in the current economic environment was a talking point at a GSFM market outlook briefing.
Stephen Miller, an adviser with GSFM, said investors need to keep diversification at the forefront given the heightened uncertainty of world markets.
In the near term, Mr Miller noted how investors are grappling with ongoing trade tensions, potential “currency wars”, political dysfunction and escalating tensions in the Middle East.
Domestic strength
Despite the doom and gloom of world markets, Tribeca Investment Partners’ portfolio manager, Jun Bei Lui, said the Australian market is expected to head higher during the second half of the year.
“Lower interest rates, stabilisation of housing prices, tax cuts, political stability and better relative yield propositions should see our market outperforming our regional partners,” Ms Liu offered.
This indication was “notwithstanding expected heightened volatility around August reporting season”, when Ms Liu said she expects to see price downturns across a number of sectors.
Not that she found this a concern, with the manager noting she would be looking to those price weaknesses as buying opportunities.
Global outlook
With trade tensions continuing, Munro Partners chief investment officer Nick Griffin said policymakers are in danger of a period of negative growth due to the issue.
“The past nine months have been a period of heightened volatility in global markets, and a prolonging of the trade impasses look likely to extent the status quo of sub-par economic growth and record-low interest rates for the medium term,” he stated.
“The key risk to this outlook is that sub-par growth ultimately turns into negative growth as policy missteps continue to escalate.”
Race to the bottom
As rates continue to drop worldwide, Payden & Rygel’s senior vice president, Brad Boyd CFA, observed that each nation is trying to appear as competitive as it can.
“You have a little bit of a race to the bottom right now, in terms of wanting to look the cheapest compared to the rest of the world,” Mr Boyd said.
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