The latest edition of The Financial Fortnight That Was has been emailed to subscribers.  This edition looks at demystifying the Simple Super reforms.  If you would like to receive this free email service go to the Sign Up page found on our website.

Please rea on for the latest market news for the fortnight concluding Monday 17th September.

Market News

Market Indices

Since our previous edition, Australian and global sharemarkets have had flat fortnights.  The S&P ASX200 Index has risen 0.06% from the 3rd to 17th September, up 10.61% for the calendar year so far.  The S&P Global 1200, a measure of the global market, on has fallen by 0.63% over the same period, placing the index up 5.08% for the year.

Emerging markets also been flat with the MSCI Emerging Markets Index rising 0.04% for the fortnight and is now up 17.98% for the year so far.

Property trusts have had mixed performances over the past fortnight with the S&P ASX 200 Property Trust Index rising 0.92%, and is now in positive territory for the year so far up 0.72%.  The S&P/Citigroup Global Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) Index, a measure of the global property market, however was down 2.21% for the fortnight and has fallen 6.94% this year so far.

Exchange Rates

As of 4pm the 17th September, the value of the Australian dollar had again risen strongly over the past fortnight with the Aussie dollar up 2.60% against the US Dollar at .8439, up 6.65% for the year so far, and up 1.96% against the Trade Weighted Index at 67.6, now up 4.16% for the year so far.  (The Trade Weighted Index measures The Australian dollar against a basket of foreign currencies.)

General News

The Australian Bureau of Statistics published the labour force data for August 2007 with unemployment rate steady at 4.3% and participation rate rising to 65.1%.

Regards,

Scott Keefer