What Investors Are Buying After a Tough Month

•  After four weeks of declines, the S&P 500 ticked up (+0.37%), while SA’s SWIX led with a strong +1.97% gain.
  
  
• Despite volatility, EasyEquities investors added over R11M into Unit Trusts, favoring stable, balanced funds over risky bets.
  
  
• Funds like the Nedgroup Investments Balanced Fund and Allan Gray Balanced Fund are proving popular.

Market Resilience & Investor Confidence
After four straight weeks of losses, the S&P 500 finally closed in positive territory. It wasn’t a dramatic rebound, but after a tough stretch, even a modest uptick is welcome.

Here’s how the markets performed during the week of 16–23 March 2025:

• SWIX (South Africa): +1.97%
  
• MSCI World (Global): +0.70% (ZAR)
• S&P 500 (US): +0.37% (ZAR)
• NASDAQ (US Tech): -0.41% (ZAR)

The standout? South Africa.
The SWIX gained nearly 2%, led by strong total returns in the IT and materials sector stocks, particularly gold and platinum stocks.

Zooming Out: This Weeks Major Economic Developments
United States: The Federal Reserve held interest rates steady, helping calm markets. Inflation isn’t gone, but it’s easing. This shift in direction has given investors a bit more confidence.

However, Fed Chair Jerome Powell cautioned that “uncertainty today is unusually elevated.” With new US trade policies still unfolding, the Fed is clearly in wait-and-see mode. That pause reflects concern about both domestic economic traction and international ripple effects.

South Africa: Inflation remained well within the SARB’s target band, however the Monetary Policy Committee decided to keep interest rates unchanged.

The SARB is watching global conditions closely and wants to see inflation anchored sustainably at the midpoint of the 3–6% target range before cutting rates. Despite moderating price pressure, policy caution remains the name of the game.

What Are EasyEquities Investors Doing?
Investors on the EasyEquities platform are staying active, just not reckless.

Despite a public holiday slowing down the week, we saw over R11 million in net inflows into Unit Trusts. What stood out was the nature of those investments: rather than chasing risk, three of our top funds by net new investor reflected a balanced, stable and diversified approach.

Top 3 Unit Trusts (by largest net change in investor count)

Nedgroup Investments Balanced Fund (as of 31 Jan 2025)
Profile: A steady, medium-risk multi-asset fund managed by Truffle Asset Management. It balances growth and loss protection by diversifying across equities, bonds, and offshore assets.

• Net new investors: 69
• Total net flows invested: R1,063,258
• Equity exposure: 55.6%
• Foreign Equity: 17.1%
• Bond exposure: 6.1%
• Foreign bond exposure: 6.7%
• Cash & Money Market: 5.7%
• Top holdings: Naspers, Standard Bank, Anglo American, Bid Corporation
• Performance:
  • 1-Year: 12.8%
  • 3-Year: 7.3%
  • 5-Year: 10.1%

Allan Gray Balanced Fund (as of 28 Feb 2025)
Profile: A growth-oriented fund with over 60% equity exposure. Actively managed with a long-term record, the fund invests across asset classes locally and offshore (via Orbis).

• Net new investors: 24
• Total net flows invested: R1,935,025
• Net equities: 63.7%
• Bonds: 16.3%
• Money market & cash: 7.3%
• Top holdings: British American Tobacco, Naspers & Prosus, AB InBev, Nedbank.
• Performance:
  • 1-Year: 12.8%
  • 3-Year: 10.3%
  • 5-Year: 12.2%

Allan Gray Stable Fund (as of 28 Feb 2025)
Profile: A conservative option designed for a high degree of capital stability while producing long-term returns that are superior to bank deposits. Equity exposure is capped at 40%, with a strong bias toward bonds and cash.

• Net new investors: 24
• Total net flows invested: R399,057
• Net equities: 25.2%
• Bonds: 34.4%
• Money market & cash: 16.7%
• Top holdings: British American Tobacco, Woolworths,Nedbank
• Performance:
  • 1-Year: 10.6%
  • 3-Year: 8.9%
  • 5-Year: 9.7%

What This Tells Us
Investors aren’t bailing, they’re adapting and staying smart.

They’re picking funds that are built for staying power, with strategies designed to manage volatility and capture consistent returns over time. Balanced and stable funds give exposure to growth while managing downside risk.

It’s a clear signal: investors are thinking long term, choosing resilience over reaction.

Thinking of Adjusting Your Portfolio?
Whether you're starting out or looking to rebalance, now’s a solid time to explore high-performing, diversified funds.

If you're considering adding a balanced fund to your portfolio or looking to gain exposure to global equity or AI themes, check out EasyAssetManagement’s EasyETFs Balanced AMETF, EasyETFs AI AMETF, EasyETFs Global Equity AMETF.

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