Vee Rao

Broad based additional easing from the RBA As had been well flagged, the RBA announced significant further monetary easing at its November meeting. This entails: A cut in the cash rate, the Term Funding Facility rate (ie, the rate at which the RBA provides cheap funding to the banks for three years) and the three-year…

From the get-go back in March, as coronavirus lockdowns hit, there has been much debate about what this recession would be like: how deep and long would it be? Was it going to be a recession like those in decades past or more like the Great Depression of the 1930s? Would it look like a…

Despite a 35% or so plunge in share markets earlier this year; on the back of the pandemic and rough patches in 2018, 2015 and 2011, well diversified Australian investors have seen pretty good returns over the last 10 years. The median balanced growth superannuation fund returned 5.8% pa over the five years to August…

As an investor its very easy to get thrown off by the ever present worry list surrounding investment markets that relates to economic activity, profits, interest rates, politics, etc. Or by the perennial predictions of an imminent crash. Or by talk of the next best thing that’s going to make you rich. The investment world…

The US election is only a month away. Markets are now paying close attention to it for several reasons. First, Joe Biden is proposing higher taxes and more regulation. Second, the proximity of the election made worse by the move to replace Justice Ginsberg may have reduced prospects for needed fiscal stimulus. Third, increased use…

From “eye watering” to “eye popping” Much concern has been expressed about the longer-term consequences of the blowout in budget deficits and public debt in response to the economic hit from coronavirus. This is understandable given their scale. In Australia, the Treasurer described the projected budget deficit for this financial year of $185bn as “eye…

In recently presenting a market outlook webinar we received lots of questions about the outlook but were unable to answer them all given time limitations. Here we try and cover the main questions investors have in a simple Q&A format. Have markets disconnected from the real economy? Not necessarily. Share markets invariably lead the economic…

Share markets have had a spectacular rebound from their March lows. The rebound has been led by the US share market which is up 52% and has just risen above its February record high, making it the fastest recovery after a 30% or more fall on record. Other share markets have lagged but are still…

For years Australia has suffered from poor housing affordability. According to the 2020 Demographia Housing Affordability Survey the multiple of median house prices to median annual incomes is 5.9 times in Australia compared to 3.9 times in Canada, 4.5 times in the UK & 3.6 times in the US. Consistent with this the ratio of…

RBA on hold again As widely expected, the RBA left interest rates on hold again for the fifth month in a row. It still sees its massive March monetary easing package as working as it expected and signalled more bond buying to keep 3-year bond yields at its 0.25% target but this is just a…