SHARE THIS Going back to India for a month after two long years of not being able to visit my family, I was pleasantly surprised by the new normal. While there has been much adversity, COVID-19 has also sparked positive change, especially on technology...
SHARE THIS Increasing expectations of a more aggressive Fed tightening cycle have led to a sell-off in US Treasuries. We share our thoughts on what this means for investors in 2022 and discuss our outlook for Asian bond markets.
SHARE THIS Asian stocks had a tough start to 2022 amid concerns that persistent inflation could cause any tightening by the US Federal Reserve (Fed) to be more aggressive than expected. For the month, the MSCI AC Asia ex Japan Index fell by 3.10% in US...
SHARE THIS Policy actions by monetary authorities diverged across the region; we remain cautious on bonds of low yielding countries and regional currencies.
SHARE THIS The economic costs of the current conflict in Ukraine may pale into insignificance in comparison to the human suffering, but they are not irrelevant to markets. The bottom line is of course that wars make society poorer, as does conflict in...
SHARE THIS We are keen to participate in the push towards a less carbon intensive future but want to do so in a balanced fashion, with one eye on the associated risks.
SHARE THIS This month we turn our focus to developments in China and their impact on New Zealand companies. New Zealand’s trade with China expanded by 22% in 2021 despite COVID-19 having an impact throughout the year. This highlights the incredible...
SHARE THIS Change is both more prevalent and significant in Asian markets. We believe that seeking to understand it is essential to deliver sustainable returns.
SHARE THIS The just-released 1Q CY22 data on aggregate corporate profits in Japan was positive, with the overall corporate recurring pre-tax profit margin hitting a record high on a four quarter average. Both the non-financial service and manufacturing...
SHARE THIS Our belief is that we have moved into a new regime where inflation will be structurally higher despite the anchors of high debt burdens, ageing societies and ongoing technological disruption.
SHARE THIS Utilising and regenerating Japan’s ample forest resources by promoting a “wood cycle” could contribute to the creation of economic wealth and a net-zero carbon future.
SHARE THIS In recent years, the increased focus on ESG has validated our beliefs. Yet, the complex and fast-changing economies and societies that make up Asia continue to be a challenge confronting investors looking to apply ESG analysis across Asian...
SHARE THIS As the famous 1980s’ bumper sticker (almost) said, “shocks happen”. The global economy / ecosystem is an inherently dynamic entity, constantly changing its shape and composition. Some of these changes will of course favour some economies...
SHARE THIS The low for this bear market could be a lot closer at hand now than it was, with equity valuations having fallen considerably. We remain focused upon assessing our companies’ ability to deliver earnings expectations and cash generation....
SHARE THIS China’s 20th Party Congress ended on 23 October with President Xi Jinping winning an unprecedented third term as expected. We provide a brief analysis of the Congress and the impact it could have on China’s zero-COVID policy and the capital...
SHARE THIS A notable feature of global equities this year has been the significant divergence seen among indices. New Zealand’s S&P/NZX 50 Index has provided an example of this by following a different track to the overall global trend so far.
SHARE THIS The subject of inflation has of course dominated markets in 2022 and most investors – no doubt cheered by some recent improvements in the reported rate of US headline inflation – are hoping that the issue will fade over the course of 2023...
SHARE THIS Rather surprisingly, a UK tabloid newspaper recently contacted the author following the seemingly spectacular “blow up” in the UK bond markets, and the subsequent “crises” within the pension / insurance sectors. The journalist clearly wanted...
SHARE THIS There is a growing view that the Pandemic, and the policy response to the Pandemic, have ended the period of Secular Stagnation within the Global Economy and potentially replaced it with “fiscally-led faster growth” and higher inflation. It...
SHARE THIS Asian banks will be more insulated from the current global banking turmoil, in our view, thanks to smaller-scale rate hikes in Asia, prudent supervision by regional financial regulators, outsized capital adequacy ratios and sensible security...