In the March 2022 edition of the Market Update:
- Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 Index returned 2.1% with Energy (+8.6%), Consumer Staples (+5.6%), and Materials (+5.2%) posting solid returns. Information Technology continued to be challenged with a decline of -6.6%.
- Nonfarm payrolls rose 678,000 in February, well above of expectations of a 400,000 increase.
- The war in Ukraine exacerbated stock market volatility and caused Brent crude to pass the $100 per barrel barrier.
- The RBA kept the cash rate on hold at 0.1% and expects inflation to rise on the back of higher petrol and energy costs.
Read the March 2022 Market Update here.