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.
Likelihood of a Vaccine
Whilst still far from a certainty, we sense the odds of a vaccine being developed appear to be shortening. Researchers around the World are racing to develop a vaccine with more than 140 candidate vaccines now being tracked by the World Health Organisation (WHO).