On Point

ep 356 | The week ahead - Markets monitor Iran talks as earnings season kicks off

Investors will be closely monitoring US-Iran talks in Islamabad over the coming days, the highest-level diplomatic meeting between Iran and the US since the 1979 Iranian revolution. This will comes as the quarterly international earnings season kicks off with the US banking heavyweights set to report this week, as well as Netflix, PepsiCo and TSMC.

ep 355 | What's the best way to invest that lump sum?

If you’re lucky enough to have a bit of surplus cash right now, it’s a difficult time to think about putting it to work. Diving in boots and all is foolhardy, while waiting in the wings for perfect conditions can be equally unwise. What's the best strategy for investors to use?

ep 354 | The week ahead - Markets rebound, but will the optimism last?

The focus this week will remain on the Middle East, with US President Trump’s ten-day pause in attacks on Iran’s energy facilities set to expire on Monday. The key economic release is likely to be the CPI inflation report for March in the US, where annual inflation is expected to jump to a two-year high of 3.4%. Here in Aotearoa the main event will be the Reserve Bank's monetary policy decision on Wednesday afternoon. While no change to the OCR is expected, the tone and commentary of the statement (and press conference) will be of more interest.

ep 353 | Is it time to sell stocks?

The last month will have been disconcerting for investors, especially those new to financial markets. Some will be tempted to sell out, cutting their losses in case the conflict escalates and markets fall further. If you're a trader with a time horizon that’s measured in weeks or months, maybe that's the right approach. However, if your foray into share investing is part of a longer-term strategy you've got a more difficult decision to make.

ep 352 | The week ahead - Local business confidence set to slump?

The ongoing conflict in Iran will remain front and centre for investors, while another batch of economic indicators for March are released. The highest profile release will be the US jobs report, while we'll also get the ISM manufacturing index and the Conference Board’s consumer confidence. Here in New Zealand, the ANZ Business Outlook survey for March will be a highlight. A fall in sentiment is expected but it will also be useful to monitor how firms are thinking about the impact on costs and any plans to raise prices in response.