November flash PMIs will be among the key international releases, with these due from most of the major economies on Friday. Investors will also be watching inflation readings from the UK and Japan, while there is a long list of central bank speakers. The world's most valuable share, NVIDIA, reports on Wednesday and we'll also see earnings releases from Walmart, Palo Alto Networks and Target. It'll be a quieter week on the local economic front, as investors look ahead to next week's Reserve Bank decision, where another 50-basis point rate cut is expected.

Last week's Federal Reserve press conference was a little different to usual, coming hot on the heels of the election. Fed Chair Jerome Powell fielded several questions about President-elect Donald Trump, offering nothing in response. However, the Fed can’t avoid talking about Trump forever though. We're in for an interesting twelve months, and it might all start with the upcoming meeting in December.

The latest inflation figures will be a highlight in the US this week, while Fed Chair Jerome Powell is scheduled to speak on Thursday in Dallas about the economic outlook. Closer to home, the Reserve Bank of New Zealand’s survey of expectations will be in focus, as will the latest housing market report from the Real Estate Institute. On the corporate front, the international reporting season is winding down but we'll still hear from Home Depot, Tencent, Burberry, Walt Disney and Alibaba. There's quite a bit to monitor across the NZX and ASX too, with earnings releases due from Goodman Property, Mainfreight and Infratil here in Aotearoa, and from Aristocrat and Xero across the Tasman.

There’s a lot of good investment wisdom out there. Ensure you’re well-diversified, stick to quality assets, don’t overtrade and keep fees to a minimum are but a few examples. One of the simplest but most important, especially it comes to shares (or any growth asset, for that matter) is to maintain a long-term view. That can be difficult, especially during periods of uncertainty (which come frequently). However, it really is non-negotiable. If you don’t feel you can stick it out for at least five (if not ten) years, the sharemarket probably isn’t the right place for your money.

Brace yourself, this week will be one of the biggest of the year for investors! It's not often a Federal Reserve meeting takes a back seat to other events, but the US election will absolutely be the focal point in the days ahead. The Fed decision will follow later in the week, with markets expecting a 0.25% rate cut, and monetary policy decisions will also be forthcoming from the Reserve Bank of Australia and Bank of England. Locally, the key release will be the labour force report for the September quarter. This is the last major data point ahead of the November Reserve Bank of New Zealand meeting.

The US presidential election is almost upon us, and recent polls suggest it’s too close to call. That bodes well for former President Donald Trump, who performed much better than the polls suggested in both 2016 and 2020. Maybe that’s why the betting odds are tilted in his favour and Wall Street now views Trump as the favourite. What might this mean for interest rates, the US dollar and the sharemarket?

It's a busy week ahead on the US economic calendar, with PCE inflation for September as well as the latest ISM index and the all important jobs report. Inflation will be in focus across the Tasman, while the highlight of a holiday-shortened week in New Zealand with be the latest ANZ Business Outlook. On the corporate front, investors can look forward to earnings releases from some of the tech heavyweights as Alphabet, Meta, Microsoft, Amazon and Apple all announce results.

The shares or property debate remains alive and well, especially in housing-obsessed New Zealand. Some property people will never touch shares. Likewise, some share investors see property as far too much work for a relatively modest reward. Shares and property have many fundamental value drivers in common, but they are also very different. Let's crunch the numbers to see which stacks up best, and compare the pros and cons of each.

This week's key releases will be October flash PMIs, the Fed Beige Book, European consumer confidence and the Tokyo CPI in Japan. The international quarterly corporate reporting season continues as well, with more than 100 S&P 500 companies scheduled to announce results. Some of the highlights are likely to include 3M, Boeing, Coca-Cola, Tesla, Unilever, UPS and Colgate-Palmolive. Closer to home, markets will tune in to a speech from RBNZ Governor Adrian Orr in Washington DC.

The Reserve Bank's bumper OCR cut gave the local sharemarket a boost earlier this month. With further reductions expected in the coming months, New Zealand shares could be in for a brighter period. Listed companies should see improved earnings as the recession abates and the economy recovers, which bodes well for dividends as well as share prices. As investors face steadily falling returns from term deposits, we’re also likely to see money flow into other assets, including shares.