As of 31 August 2020 Market overview Global markets were positive again in August on vaccine hope and a very strong For more information on our Funds, tech sector. The US S&P500 was up 7.2% and the MSCI World index up 6.3%. All please contact: share markets were positive, including Australia up 2.8% and NZ up 1.8%. Global bonds were weak (yields rose), with the US 10-year up 0.17% to 0.70% and the David Boyle Australian 10-year up the same to 0.98%. NZ bonds bucked the offshore moves Head of Sales & Marketing and our 10-year bond fell 0.14% to 0.61%. Level 25, SAP Tower 151 Queen Street, Auckland It was reporting season in NZ and Australia in August. NZ was generally better than New Zealand expectations, or at least not as bad as it might have been. Revenue and earnings were slightly ahead of expectations in aggregate; however, dividends disappointed P 0800 646 833 a bit as boards took an understandably conservative approach to distributions. E
[email protected] Only one third of companies gave guidance for the period ahead reflecting the www.mintasset.co.nz prevailing highly uncertain operating environment. EPS for companies reporting in Australia fell 20% for the year ending June, an outcome on a par with the GFC. However, this too was slightly better than expectations, with resilience in Consumer Staples, Building Materials and Discretionary Retail. The key upside factor this reporting season was better than expected cash flows, reflecting a fall in inventories and some delay in capex.