pixel

URGENT ALERT: Please beware of fraudulent WhatsApp groups and other groups across Social Media pretending to be affiliated with Anchor and Anchor staff members. Do not engage with these malicious and fraudulent groups in any way. Please direct all queries to invest@anchorcapital.co.za.

August 2019 global markets: Trade war escalation rattles markets

A familiar theme played out in August as the US corporate earnings season wrapped up and an escalation in trade wars stepped in to fill the vacuum. The first day of August saw US President Donald Trump tweet that $300bn of Chinese imports not already subject to tariffs would be subjected to 10% tariffs from the beginning of September. China responded by halting US farm imports and devaluing its currency and global stocks tumbled 5% in the first few trading days of August. The rest of the month was a rollercoaster, which saw markets rally as Trump agreed to delay some tariffs until mid-December before China rattled markets again with a threat of additional tariffs on US imports. However, China flip-flopped late in the month, suggesting that the retaliation would be delayed. The net result was a monthly drop of 2% for the MSCI World Index, only its second negative month in 2019, with the MSCI Emerging Market Index again lagging – down 4.9% for August.

Emerging market currencies also had a torrid month with the Argentine peso leading the decliners –  down 26% for the month as incumbent President Mauricio Macri looks likely to lose out to his populist rival Alberto Fernandez in Argentina’s elections, possibly reversing the hard-fought reforms Macri has implemented since taking over the presidency in 2015. The Brazilian real, South African rand and Mexican peso were down 8%, 5.6% and 4.5%, respectively, for August.

The flight to safety saw US 10-year bond yields drop over 0.5% to 1.5% in August. US 10-year bond yields have now more than halved since November 2018 when they reached 3.2%. The value of negative yielding bonds reached $17trn during August (up from $8trn at the start of the year). The flight to safety also boosted haven currencies, the Japanese yen and the Swiss franc, while falling yields boosted high-yielding stocks, with the S&P 500 utilities, consumer staples and real estate sectors the only ones to end the month higher.

OUR LATEST NEWS AND RESEARCH

INVESTING IN YOUR NEEDS

Submit your details and we’ll give you a call back to assist and advise you on your investment.

SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTERS

Subscribe to our newsletters to receive regular market commentary, research and updates from the Anchor team. Select between our Individual or Financial Advisor newsletters by selecting the relevant tab below.

WEBINAR | The Navigator – Anchor’s Strategy and Asset Allocation, 2Q24

Anchor CEO and Co-CIO Peter Armitage will host the webinar, provide an introduction to current global and local market conditions and give his thoughts on offshore equities. Together with Head of Fixed Income and Co-CIO Nolan Wapenaar, Pete will also discuss Anchor’s strategy and asset allocation for 2Q24, focusing on global equities and bonds. In addition, Fund Manager Liam Hechter will provide insights into local equities, highlighting some investment ideas; Global Equities Analyst James Bennet will discuss Ferrari and give an update on Tesla, and finally, Analyst Thomas Hendricks will participate in a Q&A with Peter, explaining the 10-year US Treasury to attendees.