64 Jolimont Street, East Melbourne VIC 3002

Financial Planning News

Market Update – March 2015

 

A snapshot of the key points for March 2015

       

  1. The RBA kept the overnight cash rate steady at 2.25% during the March board meeting.
  2. Domestic yields continued to fall over the month, with the Three Month Bank Bill Swap Rate decreasing by -0.08% while the Ten Year Australian Bond Rate slipped by -0.16%.
  3. The price of Australian Shares decreased over the month, with the All Ordinaries Price Index and the S&P/ASX 200 Price Index declining by -0.62% and -0.63% respectively.
  4. Australian Listed Properties slightly underperformed the broader equity market in March, losing -2.50%.
  5. Global equities posted mixed results in various regions over the past month. The STOXX 50 European Index and the TOPIX Japan Index were leading performers, gaining 1.30% and 1.26% respectively.
  6. The US and the UK underperformed, with the Dow Jones US Industrials Index and the FTSE 100 UK Index decreasing by -1.97% and -2.50% respectively.
  7. Commodity prices fell by -1.41% in March as measured by the US$ CRB Spot Commodity Price Index. In particular, gold prices decreased by -2.38% while oil prices dropped by -4.34% to take its past year loss to -53.14%.
  8. The Australian Dollar continued to fall against the rising US Dollar (-2.03%), while appreciating by 1.73% versus the Euro and 1.09% over the British Pound. The Australian Dollar recorded a -1.20% decline against the Japanese Yen.
  9. The Australian Trade Weighted Index (TWI) fell by -1.25% in February, indicating a slight decrease in Australia’s international competitiveness. The US VIX Volatility Index rose by 1.95% for the month, while the S&P/ASX 200 Volatility Index increased by 0.66%. 

 

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Source:       Zenith Investment Partner

 



W Marshall & Associates 64 Jolimont Street, East Melbourne VIC 3002

Important: This is not advice. Clients should not act solely on the basis of the material contained in this Commentary. Items herein are general comments only and do not constitute or convey advice per se. Also changes in legislation may occur quickly. We therefore recommend that our formal advice be sought before taking any action. The Commentary is issued as a helpful guide to clients and for their private information. Therefore it should be regarded as confidential and not be made available to any person without our prior approval.