Trending On Livewire: Weekend Edition - Saturday 26th April
Markets might have needed a break last week—but this week, they roared back to life. Call it the Trump whiplash effect.
Good morning,
Well, we ended up getting that circuit breaker that I wrote about last week, with Trump softening his stance on… everything.
Fed Chair Powell, who was all but toe-tagged when Trump said he couldn’t wait to get rid of him, was given a reprieve when Trump later said he has “no intention of firing” him. Perhaps he realise that he couldn't anyway. Trump even attempted to make nicey-nice with China, saying the high tariff on Chinese goods will “come down substantially, but it won’t be zero.”
As for markets? Well, equities surged, gold was smashed – biggest single session fall in years, and the US 10 year dropped towards 4.3%. For what it’s worth, markets are operating exactly as they should. They are pricing risk efficiently, in real-time, and sending signals so strong that even Trump can’t ignore them. To suggest anything else would be victim blaming.
Let’s see what next week brings. Have a great weekend
Chris Conway, Managing Editor, Livewire Markets
What to look for in your first or next investment property – Part 1/2
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Buying an investment property is – and will likely remain – one of the best ways for most Australians to build wealth. But if you think it’s all passive income while sipping cocktails in Bali, think again. Owning a rental takes commitment, patience, and the grit to weather a few storms. In this series, I share the key principles I’ve learned from my own landlord journey – including the questions you must ask yourself before buying, a tactic to help you hold on through tough times, the secret sauce behind premium locations, and why the type of property you choose really matters.
Why Aussies are queueing up at Martin Place to buy physical gold as prices surge
Forecasts for the Reserve Bank to cut cash rates three more times in 2025 have prompted many Australians to line up on the pavement outside the Sydney store of ABC Bullion to buy physical gold.
The queues have been growing to record levels as many gold shoppers are also worried President Trump’s tariff war could spark a broader economic crash as ballooning government debt levels prove unsustainable. In this wire, we spoke to ABC Bullion’s general manager, Jordan Eliseo, on your “average Aussies” buying the gold, where they store it and sometimes how they even wear it in donut-style necklaces.
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Chart of the Week: Which party is better for markets?
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With the federal election looming on 3 May, some investors may be wondering. Luckily, Ashley Owen of Owen Analytics has crunched the numbers, tracking Australian share market returns every PM since Federation. The verdict? Right-leaning governments (Liberals and Nationals) have delivered higher returns on average than left-leaning governments (Labor). But don’t jump to conclusions just yet. Timing often played a bigger role than policy, with many downturns under Labor driven by global crises or inherited conditions. Still, with returns sliding in recent decades, the next government - whichever side - must lift productivity and slash the red tape holding us back.
Vishal Teckchandani, Senior Editor, Livewire Markets
Weekly Poll
In a recent article, we said owning property isn’t easy. But which do you believe is more difficult to manage?
a) Investment properties (tenants, repairs, etc.)
b) Share portfolio (daily volatility, non-stop headlines etc.)
c) Neither is “easy”
d) I don’t own either
LAST WEEKS POLL RESULTS
We asked "Have you changed your allocation to gold in the past 12 months?"
The poll shows 35% didn’t invest in gold, 30% increased their holdings, 24% made no changes, 6% were considering it, and 5% had decreased their exposure.
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