Keeping our eyes on the road ahead

Looking back, it has been a tumultuous last few months for all of us. However it’s the time of year when we look forward and plan the coming months – as best we can.  So I thought I would lay out some of our focus areas and planned activities. As you read this please imagine me knocking on wood, simply because the best laid plans will no doubt be revisited as we go.

Global markets have bounced back after the dramatic falls in March that gave issuers, investors and other participants in our financial markets added concerns during the stress of lockdown. In many respects, New Zealand has been very resilient and markets have performed remarkably well. But events in other countries and the uncertain economic future here tell us that difficult times are likely to come.

There’s no doubt the pandemic will continue to impact the global economy and financial markets well into 2021 and possibly beyond.  Throw in the US election and tensions between the US and China, and that likely means further volatility, low interest rates and potentially greater risks of investor losses and poor outcomes for customers of financial services firms.

Normally at this time of year we publish our workplan for the year ahead (our Annual Corporate Plan). That’s on hold until there’s greater certainty. Instead, our immediate focus is ensuring the financial sector can respond to the challenges related to the pandemic, and supporting the millions of Kiwis who entrust the sector with their hard-earned funds.   We’ll be keeping our eyes on some areas in particular over the next three to six months: