Switzer Daily
15 February 2021
Global share markets rose again over
the last week helped by good US earnings, declining new coronavirus cases and ongoing
assurance of easy monetary policy and US fiscal stimulus. For the week, US
shares rose 1.2%, Eurozone shares gained 0.8%, Japanese shares rose 2.6% and
Chinese shares rose 5.9%. Australian shares fell -0.6% for the week, though led
by declines in energy, industrial, material and utility stocks not helped by
Friday’s news of yet another snap lockdown – this time in Victoria. Bond yields
generally rose as did commodity prices and the $A, as the $US fell.
Bitcoin rides again
Bitcoin resumed its melt-up over the last week,
Switzer Daily
1 February 2021
Global share markets fell over the past
week hit by a combination of concerns around coronavirus vaccine efficacy and
roll out and delays to extra US stimulus as US retail day traders added to
volatility. For the week US shares fell 3.3%, Eurozone shares lost 3.1%,
Japanese shares fell 3.4% and Chinese shares lost 3.9%. Australian shares fell
reflecting the weak global lead and a fall in iron ore prices with resources,
IT, financial and industrial shares seeing the biggest falls. Bond yields fell
in the US, but were flat in Germany and rose in Australia and Japan. Reflecting
the risk off tone commodity prices and the $US rose, and this weighed on the
Nothing’s gonna keep the irrepressible Shane Oliver from giving you his views on Trump’s exit, Biden’s new presidency and Covid vaccinations, and how all this will impact our share market!
Switzer Daily
19 January 2021
Australian economic data was strong,
with a rise in the ABS’ measure of job vacancies for November to above their
pre-Covid level consistent with an ongoing recovery in employment, housing
finance surging to a new record high consistent with an ongoing recovery in
house prices and retail sales confirmed at up 7% in November. Of course, this
is all before the latest Covid scare and resultant mini-lockdowns in late
December/January but so far these don’t appear to have dramatically impacted
economic activity based on our Economic Activity Tracker as consumer confidence
has held up reasonably well and growth in credit and debit card transactions