
Highlights:
– Global equities experienced sharp declines in August as worries over slowing Chinese growth sparked significant volatility across markets.
– In the US, the S&P 500 fell by 6.0% with the decline led by some of the year’s hitherto best performers. The sell-off came despite continued strong macroeconomic data, most notably for the US consumer.
– Eurozone and UK equities also delivered negative returns. Amid the global growth worries, declining energy and metals prices weighed on the resources sectors.
– Emerging markets also registered steep negative returns, underperforming their developed market counterparts amid the volatility in China and ongoing economic weakness in Brazil.
– In fixed income markets gilt, Treasury and Bund yields rose over the month. Riskier fixed income assets, such as high yield bonds, underperformed.