At the midpoint of an eventful year, what does the investment landscape look like? Though there will always be some areas of weakness and lurking risks, broadly speaking, the environment seems positive.
On the other hand, people who don’t own a home have not only missed out on rising house prices but are also forced to rent in a market where rentals have surged. Those hoping to buy a house have been locked out by the combination of high interest rates and high house prices that have left housing affordability at record-low levels.This means that housing activity, one of the US economy’s key cyclical sectors, is running unusually low.
A weaker dollar would not only boost reported returns from outside the US but also relieve pressure on the global financial system and commercial activity. Since capital tends to go to where interest rates are highest, adjusted for risk, much depends on where US interest rates settle. Firstly, the ANC did not dispute the results. It accepted them without question and started coalition talks.
Coalition politics at the national level is new to South Africa, and there have been teething problems, including testy negotiations over cabinet positions, which were finally settled over the weekend. ADVERTISEMENT: CONTINUE READING BELOW And while the GNU includes parties that have long opposed one another and disagree deeply over some issues, it is based on a set of core principles that all parties recognise.