April is here beginning with a welcome Easter break. As the vaccine rollout continues, restrictions ease, and life is a little closer to normal despite occasional setbacks. Whether you are relaxing at home, or heading off on holidays, we wish you and your family a happy Easter.

 There was a raft of positive economic news in March, which should make the Federal Treasurer’s job a little easier when he hands down the Budget on May 11. The Australian economy staged a remarkable V-shaped recovery in 2020, growing 3.1% in the December quarter and 3.4% the previous quarter – the biggest 6-month lift on record – after plunging into recession in the first half year. The main contributor was iron ore, which has doubled in price since March last year.

 As the vaccine rollout began and restrictions eased, business and consumer confidence rebounded. The NAB Business Confidence Index rose to an 11-year high of +16.4 points in February while the ANZ-Roy Morgan Consumer Confidence rating hit a 7-year high of 124 points in March, up 30% over the year.

 Confidence was reflected in a recent surge in new vehicle sales, housing construction and property values. It was also boosted by a fall in unemployment from 6.4% to an 11-month low of 5.8% in February. Company profits have also remained strong, with 86% of ASX200 companies reporting a profit in the December half year. Although aggregate earnings fell 17%, dividends were up 5% on a year ago with an estimated $26 billion currently flowing to shareholders.

 It’s not all plain sailing though. Temporary coronavirus JobSeeker and JobKeeper payments ended on March 31, and fuel prices are rising just as everyone fills up for Easter road trips. The strengthening economy saw the Aussie dollar shed 2c to US76c in March.

 DISCLAIMER
This website contains general advice which does not consider your particular circumstances. You should seek advice from Wealth & Retirement Solutions who can consider if the general advice is right for you. You should also consider the Product Disclosure Statement before making any investment or product decisions. This website contains past performance information. Past performance is not always a reliable indicator of future performance and you should not rely solely on it to make investment decisions.