In Q2, there was a wider dispersion between the winners and the losers, says Amit Parmar investment specialist in J.P. Morgan Asset Management's International Equity Group, which co-manages the STANLIB Global Select Fund's strategy.
In Q1, positive news on domestic inflation and progress on Treasury’s fiscal consolidation plans were countered by disagreements around the South African Budget and tariff announcements from the US, says STANLIB's Deputy Head of Fixed Income, Sylvester Kobo. As a result, bond yields drifted higher through the quarter. Sylvester analyses the positioning of the STANLIB Flexible Income Fund amid the heightened uncertainty and whether domestic interest rate cuts are likely.
STANLIB's Head of Systematic Solutions, Rademeyer Vermaak, talks about the positioning of the STANLIB Enhanced Multi-Style Equity Fund at the beginning of 2025.
Marius Oberholzer, Head of STANLIB Multi-Asset, says chaotic announcements on US tariffs caused wild swings in markets at the start of Q2, but by July asset prices were heading for new highs. The Multi-Asset team has become more cautious in its equity exposure since December, given policy uncertainty, and its bottom-up strategy in this environment. He also discusses the continued attractiveness of the US market and the potential in other regions.