Tag Archives: market

Lonsec Market Commentary – April 2017

Lonsec Market Commentary – April 2017

Full-time employment continues to grow after falling through much of 2016, increasing  by 74,500 in March, while part-time employment fell by 13,600.  The employment-to-population ratio appears to have steadied at around 61%.

The advance estimate of US Q1 GDP showed annual growth at 0.7%, down from 2.1% recorded in Q4 2016 and considerably lower than the consensus estimate of 1.2%.  Consumer spending – the main engine room of the economy – rose only 0.3% versus 3.5% in Q4, representing the worst performance since 2009.

The price of iron ore delivered to Qingdao in China tumbled 14.4% in April after falling 11.9% in March, ending the month at US $68.80/t, much reduced from its February high of $94.86.

To read more about local and international market affairs you can read the April 2017 Lonsec Market Commentary here:

Lonsec Market Commentary – April 2017

Lonsec Market Commentary – October 2016

Lonsec Market Commentary – October 2016

The Australian market sold off in October, with the S&P/ASX 200 following US indices down to end the month at 5,229.00 pts. All sectors suffered, with the exception of Materials, which was able to add to large gains over the past five months, returning 1.29% in October, while the Financials sector produced a small positive return of 0.76%, with modest gains from the big four.

Global shares were down in October, with a gradual sell-off in the US and renewed pressure on the UK market. Europe’s largest shares managed to bounce back from recent falls, allowing the European index to finish in positive territory. Global shares, measured by the MSCI World TR Index, returned -1.36% in AUD terms, while the S&P 500 TG Index returned -1.27%, with some pre-election nerves making themselves felt throughout the month

Read more in the link below

lonsec-market-commentary-october-2016