Navigating ESG complexities in the real world — South Africa's looming gas crisis

Foreword | Issue 69 | 1st Quarter 2024

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Investing in China — Risks and Opportunities

MARKETS IN A NUTSHELL — FOR MARCH 2024

World equity markets remained in go-go mode last month, with US bourses hurtling along at a giddy pace. The S&P 500 Index added another 3.1%, wrapping up the first quarter with a hefty double-digit gain and closing at yet another all-time high. Notably, the March rally was not driven by ‘big tech’ — energy, materials and utilities were the biggest gainers. World developed market bourses rose in tandem, while emerging markets also gained as even reluctant investors joined the fray. Chinese equities nudged higher, with the market seemingly now to have troughed.

MARKETS IN A NUTSHELL — FOR MARCH 2024

In our monthly podcast, ‘Markets in a nutshell’, Linda Eedes discusses what’s happened in global markets and economies over the past month, how we see things playing out and how Foord is positioned as a result.

Investing in China — Risks and Opportunities

China’s main Hong Kong stock market index — the Hang Seng — has nearly halved on net selling by foreign investors since its post-COVID peak. The index is trading at levels last seen 25 years ago and at valuation lows reminiscent of the 1997 Asian Financial Crisis. In this article, Foord Singapore portfolio manager JC XUE counters the ‘China is not investible’ argument and looks at long-term opportunities for patient investors.

Performance Review — Light at the End of the Tunnel

The Foord International Fund is known for its resilience during market weakness. It is much more likely to lag in bull markets — and last year was no exception. In this article, Managing Director Paul Cluer discusses why the Foord global funds underperformed last year, when and how we expect them to recover, and how the Foord South African funds are positioned to generate inflation-beating returns in the year ahead.

Global Perspective - What in the world is going on?

With the US market at all-time highs, the Hang Seng at 25-year lows, Japan, Germany and the UK in recession, and central banks defying calls for rate cuts, it’s little wonder many are asking – what on earth is going on? In this webinar portfolio managers Brian Arcese and JC Xue take an objective look at what is going on in the world and provide perspective on what this means for our own suite of global funds – unpacking performance, stock picking beyond the big tech, the principles behind our decisions, our safety-first approach and positioning going forward.

Markets In A Nutshell — For February 2024

Investors showered US stocks with love this Valentine’s month, spurning bonds. The US S&P 500 Index surged 5.2%, closing above the 5,000 level for the first time. The Nasdaq Composite and Dow Jones indices also achieved all-time highs. In contrast, US bonds fell on robust economic data and an uptick in US inflation — which again pushed out expectations for the timing of the US Federal Reserve’s first interest rate cuts.

Markets In A Nutshell — For February 2024

In our monthly podcast, ‘Markets in a nutshell’, Linda Eedes discusses what’s happened in global markets and economies over the past month, how we see things playing out and how Foord is positioned as a result.