China’s National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) reported that the manufacturing purchasing managers’ index (PMI) rose to 52.6 in February from 50.1 in January, above the 50-point mark that separates expansion and contraction in domestic activity.

The market is now expecting that the U.S. Federal Reserve (“the Fed”) will hike the federal funds rate by 0.25% at each of its next three meetings.

Finance minister Enoch Godongwana announced his Budget speech in Parliament on Wednesday. On balance, while macroeconomic risks persist, the 2023 Budget was in line with market expectations, reiterating government’s commitment to stabilising debt.

All eyes were on U.S. inflation data this week, with the release offering a mixed picture.

U.S. major indexes ended the week lower, giving back a part of the previous week’s gains.

The trio of big central banks, namely the U.S. Federal Reserve (Fed), the European Central Bank (ECB) and the Bank of England (BoE) all raised rates at their early February meetings this week.

The fourth quarter U.S. gross domestic product (GDP) advance estimate released during the week reveals a strong and resilient economy, growing at a 2.9% annualised pace in the fourth quarter of 2022.

U.S. indexes ended the week mixed, as fears of a recession weighed on investor sentiment.

2023 has started the year with equity markets rising, bond yields falling, and the U.S. dollar weakening, very different to the trends that prevailed in 2022.

Friday’s employment report in the United States turned sentiment back in a positive direction as investors weighed a renewed possibility of the Federal Reserve (Fed) achieving a soft landing.

The US Federal Reserve (Fed) announced a 50 basis point rate hike on Wednesday, taking the benchmark policy rate to the targeted range between 4.25% and 4.5%.

Hawkish comments from the Federal Reserve and other global central banks over the previous week continued to be a key factor weighing on markets.

U.S. equity markets gave up some recent gains this week, as investors digested the surprisingly strong economic data which revised sentiment that the Federal Reserve (FED) might look to soften their interest rate hiking program.

South African wealth management and investment firm Carrick Wealth is thrilled to announce that it has been named as the winner of seven awards in the prestigious International Adviser Best Practice Adviser Awards 2022 in partnership with Morningstar Wealth Platform.

Global equities recorded their first back-to-back monthly gain in over a year, and investment-grade bonds posted their biggest monthly gain since 2008, buoyed by the possibility that the Federal Reserve may slow the pace of its interest rate increases.

Minutes from the Federal Open Market Committee’s (FOMC) latest meeting were released earlier this week and the key takeaway was that smaller rate hikes are more likely in the upcoming months as inflation settles down.

U.S. Federal Reserve policymakers expressed a variety of interest rate views this week, after last week’s lower than expected U.S. inflation print.

Investors celebrated reassuring inflation data this week, as U.S. inflation fell in October by more than expected.

The U.S. Federal Reserve (Fed) raised interest rates by a further 75 basis points to the 3.75%-4% range on Wednesday, its fourth consecutive hike this year.

Carrick is pleased to welcome Paul Jeffreys as our new Regional Manager: Carrick Investment Services, effective from 01 November.