Shares hitting bear market territory – the fear of fear itself or something more fundamental?
- The malaise in financial markets is continuing with Australian shares now joining Europe, Japan and emerging markets in a bear market.
- Global growth worries could drive more short term weakness. But in the absence of a US/global recession it’s hard to see a deep and long bear market.
- The key for investors is to recognise that periodic declines in share markets are normal, that selling after big declines just locks in a loss, that dividend income from a well-diversified portfolio is little affected by share market volatility and that income flow from Australian shares is now very high relative to bank deposits.