Monthly financial markets outlook | January 2023
Our monthly market review provides key highlights and data across local and global financial markets including expert views on major themes impacting investors.
Our monthly market review provides key highlights and data across local and global financial markets including expert views on major themes impacting investors.
Markets continued to be volatile in May with investors now more concerned about potential spill over of financial risks to the real economy. Grim earnings reports and guidance from some consumer-related companies in the US alongside a slump in business and consumer confidence raised recession and stagflation concerns. Locally, political risks were also elevated following corruption allegations levelled against the president. However, despite a negative backdrop, major asset classes closed almost unchanged in May, thanks to the relief rally towards the end of the month.
Markets continued to be volatile in May with investors now more concerned about potential spill over of financial risks to the real economy. Grim earnings reports and guidance from some consumer-related companies in the US alongside a slump in business and consumer confidence raised recession and stagflation concerns. Locally, political risks were also elevated following corruption allegations levelled against the president. However, despite a negative backdrop, major asset classes closed almost unchanged in May, thanks to the relief rally towards the end of the month.
Markets continued to be volatile in May with investors now more concerned about potential spill over of financial risks to the real economy. Grim earnings reports and guidance from some consumer-related companies in the US alongside a slump in business and consumer confidence raised recession and stagflation concerns. Locally, political risks were also elevated following corruption allegations levelled against the president. However, despite a negative backdrop, major asset classes closed almost unchanged in May, thanks to the relief rally towards the end of the month.
Markets continued to be volatile in May with investors now more concerned about potential spill over of financial risks to the real economy. Grim earnings reports and guidance from some consumer-related companies in the US alongside a slump in business and consumer confidence raised recession and stagflation concerns. Locally, political risks were also elevated following corruption allegations levelled against the president. However, despite a negative backdrop, major asset classes closed almost unchanged in May, thanks to the relief rally towards the end of the month.
Markets continued to be volatile in May with investors now more concerned about potential spill over of financial risks to the real economy. Grim earnings reports and guidance from some consumer-related companies in the US alongside a slump in business and consumer confidence raised recession and stagflation concerns. Locally, political risks were also elevated following corruption allegations levelled against the president. However, despite a negative backdrop, major asset classes closed almost unchanged in May, thanks to the relief rally towards the end of the month.
Markets continued to be volatile in May with investors now more concerned about potential spill over of financial risks to the real economy. Grim earnings reports and guidance from some consumer-related companies in the US alongside a slump in business and consumer confidence raised recession and stagflation concerns. Locally, political risks were also elevated following corruption allegations levelled against the president. However, despite a negative backdrop, major asset classes closed almost unchanged in May, thanks to the relief rally towards the end of the month.
Markets continued to be volatile in May with investors now more concerned about potential spill over of financial risks to the real economy. Grim earnings reports and guidance from some consumer-related companies in the US alongside a slump in business and consumer confidence raised recession and stagflation concerns. Locally, political risks were also elevated following corruption allegations levelled against the president. However, despite a negative backdrop, major asset classes closed almost unchanged in May, thanks to the relief rally towards the end of the month.
The painful retrenchment across major asset classes which commenced at the beginning of the year accelerated in April with some segments giving up all their post-Covid gains. Fears of entrenched inflation, tightening financial conditions, the Ukraine war and slowing growth were once again the dominant themes. The Chinese Communist Party’s (CPP) decision to seal off some Chinese provinces with key industrial hubs in its attempt to combat rising Covid-19 infections also sent shivers across the market, with investors worrying about a potential dent on an already fragile global growth outlook. Correlations between risk assets and safe assets remained elevated which means that even a well-balanced portfolio cratered this month.
Financial markets experienced a sharp pullback during the first quarter as inflation, recession and the spectre for higher policy interest rates took centre stage. The Russia and Ukraine friction in late February somewhat exacerbated risks faced by investors.