It’s hard to believe that in the blink of an eye Christmas becomes Easter, and what contrasting times we find ourselves in compared to a year ago!
Optimism has been high with aggressive stimulus packages from governments and lower-for-longer monetary policies, rolled out by central banks with money printing and interest rate market interventions. It’s fair to say this has staved off the prospect of an especially deep and prolonged pandemic induced recession. There are now vital signs that business is gearing up for the recovery, and both the property and share markets continue to have positive momentum.
However, optimism has been tempered by the knowledge that the most substantial stimulus package, JobKeeper, has now come to its expected conclusion. It’s somewhat ironic this happened right when Brisbane was entering a snap lockdown and is a stark reminder of the challenges that remain.
It’s only when businesses and the economy are weaned off the stimulus medication that we will get a true steer on the damage to certain sectors. Furthermore, as the vaccination rollout begins to ramp up, Australia will have the unique health challenge of letting COVID out into the community so we can begin to open up our international borders.
With all this in mind, I continue to believe we have every reason to be optimistic and remain thankful that we live in the lucky country!
Finally and most importantly, this is a very special time of year for many of us and I wish you and your family a happy and safe Easter break!
The information provided should not be considered personal financial advice as it is intended to provide general advice only. The content has been prepared without taking into account your personal objectives, financial situations or needs. You should seek personal financial advice before making any financial or investment decisions.