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Investment Markets In Review
Article

Investment Markets In Review

Pitcher Partners Wealth Management (Brisbane) | The information in this article is current as at 7 July 2022.

The June quarter witnessed a significant re-pricing of financial assets, as persistently high inflation pushed investors to price in further interest rate rises and an increased risk of recession in the U.S.

Investors are currently facing a very sensitive and pretty much unprecedented array of issues at this point in time. Whilst businesses and consumers in aggregate are doing ok this year, the outlook is less certain and confidence is beginning to dip. Inflation is at multi-decade highs which is driving a significant tightening in financial conditions through steep interest rate rises and quantitative tightening. Growth is showing signs of deceleration, there is war, there are issues over global energy and food security amongst other pressures. It is this backdrop which has led to the elevated volatility we have seen over the past few months.

Broad based declines were evident across many equity and bond markets, with the S&P 500 entering official bear market territory (>20% decline) before rallying modestly before quarter end.

Australian equities outperformed the U.S on a relative sense but still posted a 12% decline in absolute terms, as small caps underperformed large caps while the technology, banks and resources sectors all underperformed. Energy and utility stocks provided the only main sources of absolute returns.

At a global level, Chinese equities were the standout performer as the country emerged gradually from its Zero-COVID induced restrictions and modest stimulus measures aimed to kickstart its economy. European equities bore the brunt of rising ‘stagflationary’ concerns across the region. Sector performance trends were similar to that witnessed in Australia, with Value investors outperforming Growth for the period. Unhedged investors were buffered against some of the broader sharemarket declines thanks to the -8% decline in the AUD against the USD, but the MSCI World $A Index still fell close to 10%.

Fixed income markets capped off their worst financial year return for close to 30 years with our local and international bond indices declining 10.5% and 9.3% respectively. Surging inflation forced the hands of both the Federal Reserve and the RBA to commence their rate hiking cycle during the quarter, however markets continue to price in a far more aggressive series of rate hikes than what the central banks are forecasting currently. This caused both our bond benchmarks to decline ~4% over the quarter alone. Floating rate credit investors were far better off for the period, however widening credit spreads made it tough to generate positive returns over the quarter.

Listed property markets underperformed their broader equity markets as fears over the impact of rising interest rates on asset values saw A-REITs decline 18.2% and G-REITs fall 16.6%.

Within commodity markets, the inflation trade fueled rally in Q1, began to reverse somewhat over the June quarter as fears over slowing growth saw price declines across precious and industrial metals. Energy prices remained elevated due to the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine.

In our articles for the quarter, we discuss the current growth, rates and inflation outlook in more detail. We also share a transcript of a call we held on the Energy sector with Adrian Prendergast, Head of Energy & Resources at Morgan’s Stockbroking. Lastly, we also discuss the rise in the number of thematic Exchange Traded Funds now available in Australia, highlighting the potential opportunities and pitfalls in using these types of securities.

This document has been prepared for the exclusive use and benefit of Pitcher Partners Wealth Management Pty Ltd (AFSL 357636), our clients and our Authorised Subscribers. It must not be used or relied on by any other person, without our prior written consent. Information is sourced from third parties and Pitcher Partners believes it to be reliable at the date of publication, although we cannot guarantee accuracy and reliability, nor do we accept responsibility for errors and omissions. The information, including opinions, estimates and forecasts contained herein are as of the date of publication and are subject to change without notice. Pitcher Partners is under no obligation to correct any inaccuracy or update the information. Any financial product advice contained in this document is general advice only and does not take into account your objectives, financial situations or needs. If you wish to acquire a financial product, we recommend you seek advice from a Pitcher Partners Wealth Management representative, and where applicable, consider the relevant offer document prior to making any financial decision. Before acting on anything contained in this document, you should speak to your Pitcher Partners Wealth Management representative and consider the appropriateness of the information or general advice having regard to your objectives, financial situation, or needs. If you act on anything contained in this document without seeking personal advice you do so at your own risk. To the maximum extent permitted by law, neither we, nor any of our representatives, will be liable for any loss, damage, liability, or claim whatsoever suffered or incurred by you or any other person arising directly or indirectly out of the use or reliance on this information, or any changes made to this document without our prior written consent.
This content is general commentary only and does not constitute advice. Before making any decision or taking any action in relation to the content, you should consult your professional advisor. To the maximum extent permitted by law, neither Pitcher Partners or its affiliated entities, nor any of our employees will be liable for any loss, damage, liability or claim whatsoever suffered or incurred arising directly or indirectly out of the use or reliance on the material contained in this content. Pitcher Partners is an association of independent firms. Pitcher Partners is a member of the global network of Baker Tilly International Limited, the members of which are separate and independent legal entities. Liability limited by a scheme approved under professional standards legislation.

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