The recent decision from the U.S. Federal Reserve (the Fed) to reduce interest rates by 50 basis points, bringing the federal funds rate to a range of 4.75% to 5%, has drawn attention from markets worldwide, including Australia. With inflation in the U.S. having moderated to approximately 2.2%, close to the Fed’s long-term target, many are questioning the rationale behind this rate cut and its broader implications for investors.
This week, Australian markets demonstrated a solid performance, with the ASX 200 rising by 1.1%. Materials led the way with a notable 4.2% increase, buoyed by renewed optimism around potential stimulus measures from China. Lithium stocks enjoyed a rebound from recent lows due to supply cuts, while fears of supply restrictions from Russia impacted uranium, nickel, and titanium markets positively. Oil prices also saw an uptick, supported by output disruptions in the US Gulf of Mexico. The Financials sector lagged slightly, down 0.8%, as investors took profits after a strong run of fresh peaks in the major banks.
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03-05-2021
George Lucas, Raiz Group CEO
First let’s take a look at equity markets. Even as the equity markets put in strong performances in April, we’re seeing investors switching into cash at the fastest rate since March 2020.
19-01-2021
George Lucas, Raiz Group CEO
One of the big themes to watch this year will be the vaccine-led economic recoveries in nations hard hit by the coronavirus pandemic. This is driven by recent developments suggesting that vaccines will be distributed on a sufficient scale to quash COVID-19 in most developed countries.
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