A new generation of just over 5 million Australians – born between 1965 and 1980 – are approaching their retirement years.
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It was a nervous start to the quarter for the Australian equity market (ASX 200), as the impact of China stimulus measures and implications of rising bond yields was being digested. The resources sector felt the brunt of this nervy start falling over 5% for the month of October, however the broader market did manage to reach an all-time high on the 15th of October closing above 8,300 for the first time.
2024 was a memorable one for investors, with asset prices powering ahead.
The year started with a bang, as the positive market momentum from the fourth quarter of 2023 spilled over into the new year, under the premise that inflation would fall sharply through 2024 enabling central banks to deliver large interest rate cutting programs.
The Australian equity market (ASX 200), although starting the quarter in good spirits and continuing to rally, driven by lower-than-expected inflation data and positive sentiment, witnessed an acceleration in market volatility due to various economic and political factors. This did not deter investors as the index made history on 17 July by surpassing the 8,000 mark and closing at an all-time high of 8,057. Off the back of positive momentum supported by optimism of interest rate cuts by the US Federal Reserve as early as September the benchmark delivered a strong quarterly return of +7.8%.