Welcome to this special edition of our monthly Market Update. The extraordinary geopolitical events of the past six weeks were the subject of investor presentations by Chief Investment Officer Mike Taylor and Head of Australian Equities Michelle Lopez at our Auckland office recently. In this video Mike and Michelle dissect how markets responded to this period of unprecedented volatility and consider what comes next.

Trump’s Pressure Pivot - Positive Announcements Roll In

Over the past few weeks, we've seen an almost constant flow of announcements, updates, and counter-updates — and global markets have faced continued turbulence as a result. While some of these statements have offered reassurance and hinted at potential deals, resulting in a decent bounce in markets, others have reignited uncertainty. This pattern of headline-driven volatility is likely to continue, reinforcing the importance of staying focused on longer-term fundamentals rather than reacting to every twist and turn.

Trump’s Tariff Turmoil – What Investors Need to Know

Yesterday’s announcement from U.S. President Donald Trump on reciprocal tariffs sent shockwaves through the markets, leading to a sharp decline of ~5% across U.S. indices. While these moments of turmoil create uncertainty and are unsettling for investors, history shows us that markets have weathered plenty of similar storms before.

Investing doesn’t have to be difficult. With just $1,000, you can invest in a Pie Investment Fund and set the stage for a wealthier tomorrow!

In the latest Morningstar KiwiSaver report to 30 September 2024 we were really pleased to see our Pie KiwiSaver Growth and Balanced Funds both being ranked number one for 1 year returns to 30 September 2024 versus the competition.

It’s always important to be prepared, and that holds especially true when it comes to investing. You need to be positioned to make hay while the sun shines but also have cover to protect yourself when the rain sweeps through.

There are a number of factors affecting world markets such as global political climate, ever changing interest rates, and now raising impacts of AI technologies. So how do we steady the ship during turbulent times?

The last twelve months have continued to be a volatile time, and markets certainly haven’t disappointed. At the Pie KiwiSaver Scheme, we believe conditions like these are a ‘hunter’s paradise’, with plenty of strong opportunities for long-term KiwiSaver growth to be found.

Balancing risks and returns has always been one of the main priorities for us at the Pie KiwiSaver Scheme. Especially when inflation rates are higher and markets are less predictable. However, with the long term approach and knowledge of investment fundamentals, there are still plenty of strong investment opportunities to be found.

If there is one thing that the last few years have taught us, a Global pandemic, wars and market volatility, it is the importance of following key pillars for long-term KiwiSaver growth. These pillars have been developed over years of active fund management experience.

2024 Investment Insights with Pie KiwiSaver: A Look Ahead