FNArena’s Weekly Insights – March 04 2025
February’s Reality Check
By Rudi Filapek-Vandyck, Editor
No matter how one tries to cut and slice the facts, February has been a sore disappointment for Australian investors, starting with price action as the ASX200 retreated by -4.22% over the month but kept losses limited to -3.79% through bank and other dividends.
February marked a notable reversal from the optimism that saw January starting off with strong gains, pushing the index up by 4.6%, but all of those gains, and widespread optimism, have now disappeared.
Given the negative trend that dominated the final week of the month, investors might consider it a positive to see the major index unchanged for the year to date.
Excitement Arrived Too Early
February also marks the interim results season for most ASX-listed companies and here too a firm reality check has descended upon the market.
Pre-season there was widespread optimism that earnings might have bottomed and companies would be whetting investors’ appetite with better cost control and rising sales, and early signs of greenshoots appearing on top.
