JCB find the YieldReport to be an invaluable summary of all debt market activity. Whilst we are focussed on the highest grade bonds it is important to see what is..Angus Coote, Executive Director, JCB Active Bond Fund
U.S. stocks dropped sharply on Monday amid economic concerns and a weak jobs report. The Dow fell 2.6%, the S&P 500 lost 3%, and the Nasdaq slid 3.4%.
Caesars Entertainment’s shares dropped 6.9% after a revenue miss, while Walgreens fell 6.6% following a major stake sale announcement.
Etsy declined 6.6% after a downgrade, and Intel’s shares fell 6.4% due to poor earnings and job cuts.
On the positive side, Kellanova soared 16.2% on news of a potential Mars acquisition, Tyson Foods rose 2.1% on strong results, and CrowdStrike gained 1.9% despite Delta Air Lines’ compensation claims.
LOCAL MARKET
The Australian stock market recorded its sharpest decline in over four years, driven by fears of a U.S. recession and global selling.
The S&P/ASX200 index plummeted by 3.7% to 7,649.6, marking its largest fall since May 2020 and losing $160 billion in two days. Similarly, the All Ordinaries index fell 3.81% to 7,859.4.
This sell-off, the worst since the COVID-19 market crash in March 2020, came after U.S. unemployment unexpectedly rose to 4.3%, hinting at a potential recession. Despite this, experts like NAB’s Taylor Nugent suggest that strong labor force growth could mitigate these effects.
In Japan, the Nikkei plunged 13%, its most significant drop since 1987, exacerbated by a yen rally after Japan’s central bank hiked rates.
In Australia, sectors across the board saw declines, with IT stocks dropping 6.61%. Major companies like BHP and the Big Four banks also faced significant losses.
Amidst this turmoil, the Reserve Bank is unlikely to raise rates, with market expectations shifting towards a potential rate cut.