Third quarter Equity Investment Strategy

Risk asset prices rebounded globally with the benchmark MSCI (Morgan Stanley Composite Index) World trimming first quarter losses to -6.6% at the end of the first half of the year. The steady state in the global financial markets has been anchored on the accommodative policies in the developed economies and easing of containment measures in some pockets across the globe. Some equity markets such as in the emerging world have recouped back the first quarter losses while frontier markets are trailing 18.1% from the start of the year levels. US Dow Jones Industrial Average benchmark that tracks the 30 largest listed companies, posted its hitherto best quarterly performance in 33 years with a return of 17.8% in the quarter ending June 2020. Also Read: New rebirth for Kenyan retail sector as foreign capital flows in Closer home, revised estimates have struck a bearish tone as per our second quarter outlook. The IMF has further slashed Kenya’s 2020 growth projections to -0.3% (1.0% in its April review) and we are staring at the first contraction in 30 years. We expect a contraction of 1.9% in the third quarter ending September. To further accelerate economic activities, the government in early July relaxed some