VIDEO: Market Snapshot December 2019

Our Market Snapshot provides an overview of key events that influenced financial markets over the course of December 2019.

The year ended on a high note for global equities as investors were able to breathe a sigh of relief on the back of a firm Phase 1 trade agreement between the US and China, as well as a decisive Tory election victory in the UK that paved the way for a less-uncertain Brexit. These events helped to improve sentiment towards global growth in 2020, as did the backdrop of easy global monetary policy, sparking a strong global equities rally. South African markets benefitted from the bullish mood, which outweighed largely negative local developments: both local equities and bonds delivered positive returns and the rand gained ground against all three major currencies. 

US equity markets reached fresh record highs in late December, helping global equities record their best annual gains since 2009 - the MSCI All Country World Index) returned 3.5% in December and 26.6% for the year as a whole (in US$). Emerging markets produced 7.5% for December and 18.4% in 2019, compared with developed markets at 3.0% and 27.7%, respectively. Global bonds, meanwhile, were in negative territory for the month as the US Federal Reserve (Fed) left rates on hold at its 11 December meeting and suggested it was not likely to lower interest rates for the foreseeable future. The Bloomberg Barclays Global Aggregate Bond Index (US$) delivered 0.6% for the month and 6.8% for the year, and global property (the FTSE EPRA/NAREIT Global Property REIT Index, US$ net) returned -0.4% and 23.0%, respectively. For 2019, both markets were boosted by lower interest rates globally.

US

In the US, the Phase 1 trade pact with China averted planned new US tariffs on another $160bn of Chinese products set to take effect on 15 December. Among other concessions, China pledged some $400 billion in tariff cuts on 859 types of products starting 1 January. In the face of brighter growth prospects, the Fed left interest rates on hold as expected, and its December “dot plot” forecast pointed to no changes through 2020 and one 25bp rate hike in 2021. The central bank also noted that the US economic outlook was favourable as it went into 2020 with moderate growth (GDP at 2.1% y/y), historically low unemployment (at 3.5%) and inflation under control (at 1.7% y/y in November). 

On the back of this improved outlook, the 10-year US Treasury yield moved higher to end December at around 1.9%. The Barclays US Treasury Index produced -0.6% for the month and 6.9% for 2019 in US$. In the equity market, the S&P 500 returned 3.0% over the month and 31.5% for the entire year, the Nasdaq delivered 4.0% in December and 39.5% for 2019, and the Dow Jones Industrial produced 1.9% and 25.3%, respectively (all in US$).

UK and Europe

In the UK, the Tories won PM Johnson’s snap general election by a significant majority, setting a clear path toward Brexit on 31 January. Still, many terms will take months (or years) to agree, which will continue to hinder investment. The UK equity market and pound sterling rallied on the added certainty, with the FTSE 100 returning 5.3% in December and 22% for the year in US$. 

In the Eurozone, the European Central Bank (ECB) is projecting growth at 1.2% for 2019, 1.1% for 2020 and 1.4% for 2021. Christine Lagarde, the ECB’s new President, kept interest rates on hold at its December meeting and confirmed that its bond buying stimulus programme had re-started on 1 November. In equity markets in US$, Germany’s DAX produced 1.7% in December and 22.9% for the year, and the French CAC 40 delivered 3.2% and 28.1%, respectively

Asia

The Chinese economy continued to slow during the month, hurt by the trade war’s negative impact on Chinese exports and manufacturing. Adding to the slowdown were the ongoing democracy protests in central Hong Kong targeting popular shopping areas, which weighed on consumer spending and tourism, sending the territory into a rare recession. The government’s ongoing stimulus measures, including tax cuts, infrastructure spending and lower bank reserve requirements, have helped to cushion the broader economy, but December saw increasing pressure on the central bank to initiate further monetary easing. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng returned 8.3% in December and 13.7% for the year, and the MSCI China delivered 14.7% and 23.7%, respectively, all in US$.  

Japan’s growth also continued its deceleration as its export-driven economy was hit hard by the US-China trade war and weak business and consumer sentiment. The Bank of Japan left its key interest rate on hold at -0.1% in December, but signalled it could implement more stimulus measures should its sales tax hike dent consumer spending. The Nikkei 225 returned 2.5% in December and 21.9% for the year in US$.

Commodities

The price of Brent crude oil gained about 5.7% in December to close the year at around US$67 per barrel as markets anticipated an uptick in demand in 2020 as a result of improving US-China trade and global growth. Oil prices gained about 22% in 2019 as a whole on the back of the supply cuts by OPEC and its partners and latterly the Q4 Phase 1 trade deal. For 2020 analysts expect the oil price to remain relatively contained as the US becomes a net petroleum exporter, helping offset the impact of OPEC cuts, as well as continued moderate global economic growth.

Precious metal prices all rose during December, with palladium ending a stellar year with a 52.5% price gain in 2019. Platinum was up 22.4% and gold rose 19% for the year thanks to its safe-haven status. Other commodity prices were mixed for the 12 months: Nickel gained 32.1% and copper rose 3.2%, but zinc lost 8.7%, lead was down 4.3% and aluminium fell 3.7%.

South Africa

Positive global investor sentiment lifted South African equities and the rand in December, helping to offset more negative developments locally. The surprise resumption of load-shedding in December and the possibility of it extending well into 2020 exacerbated the weak growth outlook, leading many analysts to expect a recession. Meanwhile, November CPI fell to 3.6% y/y, a nine-year low. The SARB’s latest model forecasted a 25bp interest rate cut in Q3 2020. The central bank has been emphasizing the importance of anchoring inflation expectations at or below the 4.5% midpoint of the SARB’s 3-6% inflation target, rather than boosting growth, thereby putting more pressure on the government to enact reforms and a fiscally responsible 2020 budget. 

SA equities were buoyed by the improved global growth outlook and risk-on sentiment, helping Resources counters in particular. The FTSE/JSE ALSI returned 3.3% in December, with Resources returning an impressive 7.0%. Listed property (SAPY index) was the worst-performing sector with a return of -2.1%. Financials delivered 0.8% and Industrial counters produced 2.3% for the month. The FTSE/JSE Capped SWIX All Share Index, which we use as the equity benchmark for most of our client mandates, returned 3.1%. For the year, the ALSI returned 12.1%, thanks largely to the Resources sector which delivered 28.5%. This far outpaced the 8.9% from Industrials, 0.6% from Financials and -0.4% from Listed Property.

SA bonds managed to hold their ground in December. This was due to the fresh risk-on sentiment on the part of investors looking for attractive real yields, as local bonds offered among some of the highest real yields in the world (at around 4.5% for longer-dated tenors). The BEASSA All Bond Index delivered 1.9% in December and 10.3% for the year as a whole. SA inflation-linked bonds returned 1.0% in December, and only 2.6% for the year as the inflation outlook improved, while cash (as measured by the STeFI Composite) delivered 0.6% in December and 7.3% in 2019.

Finally, the rand rallied against all three major currencies in December along with most other emerging market currencies. It gained 4.4% against the US dollar, 2.1% against the pound sterling and 2.5% versus the euro. For the year as a whole, the rand appreciated 2.7% versus the US dollar and 4.5% against the euro, but lost 0.5% against the pound sterling.