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2016 Outlook: Uneven economic growth expected in 2016

08 January 2016

The year 2015, which began with buoyant financial markets and great expectations for global growth, may instead be remembered as the “year of the downgrade.” As the months passed, one economy after another slowed, stalled, contracted or reverted to subpar growth, leaving markets and investors vacillating between cautious optimism and outright risk aversion.

Economic and market snapshot for December 2015

08 January 2016

Global economic developments.

Bleak 2016 for markets in wake of Nene’s removal

11 December 2015

President Zuma surprised markets on Wednesday evening by recalling South Africa’s well-respected Finance Minister, Nhlanhla Nene, and appointing David van Rooyen, an ANC veteran, as the head of National Treasury. The Rand responded to this announcement by plunging from R14.60/US$ before the announcement to an all-time low of R15.38/US$ before settling around R15.00/US$ on international markets on Thursday. The Rand’s reaction is essentially a proxy for the response of analysts and investors, and captures the extent to which Zuma’s decision shocked – or, at the very least, surprised – and disappointed market participants.

2015: A tough year, but changes benefit investors

07 December 2015

2015 was an eventful year in the markets, with investors being reminded by events in countries like Greece and China how quickly seemingly calm seas can turn choppy and how swiftly currencies can stumble.

quick poll

Question

If you had to choose one approach to protect your hard-earned investment cash from today’s market madness, which would it be?

Answer