Quarterly Market Wrap Q1 2025

The Trump administration’s imposition of tariffs on major trading partners and fears of their impact on growth and inflation unsettled markets in the March quarter. Geopolitical anxieties also mounted as the US attempted to cut a peace deal with Russia, over the heads of Ukraine and European allies. In Australia, the RBA belatedly joined other central banks in cutting official interest rates, while the federal government announced tax cuts ahead of an election in May.
The Correlation between the Economy and the Stock Market is Low in the Short-Term
Perhaps the most common misconceptions about the share market is that it is directly linked to a nation’s economy. This is simply not the case. History shows time and again that markets can perform well when the economy is slowing and vice versa.