Market Wrap

One day the sharemarket is up, the next day it’s down. This may seem like a normal situation, but the bulls and bears have been actually been embroiled in this tug o’ war for a number of months now with no sign of a winner emerging. Continue reading

Posted in General Information, Investing

China’s housing keeps housing us

The hardcore gold bug brigade are so keen to push the idea that the global financial system is doomed and that gold is only thing in the world worth having that they twist and ignore facts with wild abandon. Continue reading

Posted in Debt Management, General Information, Property

Growth and opportunity remain in Asia

You might not think it from the correction in equity markets in recent weeks, but David Urquart says economic data from the start of the year suggests that the global recovery is becoming increasingly well entrenched, at least in Asia.

Economic growth surpassed expectations in most countries across South East Asia late last year and early this year and, amid a broad based improvement in both external and internal demand, we are already seeing upward revisions to first quarter data Continue reading

Posted in General Information, Investing

Is Greece’s debt crisis contagious?

For only 3% of the eurozone economy and just under 0.5% of the world economy, Greece has caused big trouble around the world lately. The question is whether steps by authorities to counter the Greek-inspired turmoil will be enough to calm investors over the longer term and leave in place the global economic and sharemarket recoveries. Continue reading

Posted in General Information, Investing

Why urbanisation matters for investors

Within the next two decades, the entire US population will move into China’s cities. Alright, not the US population, per se. But 350 million Chinese will leave behind their rural life in a move expected to provide a massive impetus to China’s urban economy.1

China is not alone. All across the developing world, cities are acting as people magnets. The UN forecasts the urban population of Asia will grow by 1.8 billion by 2050, while Africa will see nearly one billion people join city life and 200 million from Latin America and the Caribbean will leave their rural homes behind.2 All up, more than 60% of the world’s population are likely to live in cities by 2030 compared with fewer than one-in-three in 1950.3 Continue reading

Posted in General Information, Investing, Property

Making up lost time

The investment clock is stuck at 7.30, but shares will tick higher again.

Financial markets remain firmly in the grip of the early stages of the Recovery Phase on the Investment Clock, with economic data for most of the first quarter of 2010 showing improvement in business, consumer and GDP growth.

But the Recovery Phase on the Investment Clock can be a slow and gradual process, often punctuated by significant reversals in the sharemarket indicating that sentiment remains extremely fragile. It can often take five to seven years to move from the bottom of the Recovery Phase at 6 o’clock to the top of the Boom Phase at 12 o’clock. Continue reading

Posted in General Information, Investing, Superannution

Auction Clearance Rates

Auction clearance rates continued to ease again last week with the weighted average auction clearance rate recorded at 62.7% and represents the fourth week in a row where weighted average clearance rates sat below 70%. Melbourne’s auction clearance fell further last week to 68.8%. Sydney’s auction clearance rates also fell further during the week and are now recorded at 62.1% Continue reading

Posted in Property

Market Wrap

There certainly has been a marked increase in volatility on the share market in recent weeks. In March the All Ordinaries either rose or fell more than 1% on just two trading days in the month. Continue reading

Posted in Investing

Australian Property Market Update

The RP Data Research Analysts have compiled 24 graphs focused on the Australian Property Market. Included in the presentation are graphs showing Median House and Unit Prices, Annual Change in Dwelling Values and National Capital Growth and Sales Volume.

Click here to download the presentation.

Posted in General Information, Investing, Property

Confidence slipping

There is no question that Aussie consumers started 2010 in fine spirits. However, three rate hikes in a row, together with the government’s response to the Henry Review, a weaker share market and the fall in the Aussie dollar have taken their toll on consumer confidence. Subsequently, confidence levels have recorded a 7% fall in May – the biggest monthly percentage fall since October 2008, a period that marks the height of the global financial crisis. Continue reading

Posted in General Information, Investing