The major market news of the month was the re-election of Donald Trump as the 47th President of the United States of America.

October proved to be a quieter month, with markets experiencing generally weaker performance as the US election approached.

As the quarter drew to a close, we experienced two major events that influenced market rotation.

At Human Financial, we remain of the view that we are in the midst of an economic regime change: from growth into slowdown. Some data points are already signalling a recession.

Investing is like sailing. Occasionally you’re cruising on a mirrored lake, but mostly it’s choppy.

Equity market returns for the second quarter were decidedly mixed across the board.

The Australian consumer is now so tightly squeezed that some households are making dangerous sacrifices to make ends meet.

Watch now: Australian consumer stress and the impact on corporates

Two market forces, emerging simultaneously, confirm our current preference for capital preservation.

Why we’re taking a look at emerging market equities.

In the last couple of months of 2023, global economic data surprises had been falling into neutral (zero) territory suggesting expectations were no longer being exceeded.

December rounded out a strong 2023 for most financial markets with an additional rally into year end.

The less sense it makes, the better.

“The two most powerful warriors are patience and time.” – Leo Tolstoy

If an event or trend occurs at the same time each year, it is referred to as “seasonality”.

Sultry heat and then ominous calm: the usual portents of a ferocious storm. In financial markets too, 2023 continues to heat up.

The busy bees of the second quarter were undoubtedly the world’s central banks, who were simultaneously raising interest rates and warning about future increases.

Like wine, term deposits help you to sleep deeply, but they can cause longer-term headaches for investment portfolios. Short-dated investment-grade corporate bonds can be a useful remedy.

Five strategies to stay in the saddle during a bear market.

The oldest debate in investing is centred on Value vs Growth investment styles. It’s not as intense as the State of Origin, but it can be heated.