Japan has been the best performing market in 2023, with the Topix index up 25.8%. The US is a close second, with the S&P 500 index adding 24.9%.

The US 10-year Treasury yield last hit 5.00% in 2007, 16 years ago during the GFC-era.

The NZX 50 is up a marginal 0.7% in 2023, which is essentially a flat return. While better than the previous two years, this is below the average annual return since inception in 2001 of 8.3%.

Chipmaker NVIDIA (pronounced "in-vidia") was the best performer of 2023, rising 235% as advances in AI spurred demand for processing power. Meta (previously Facebook) was number two with a gain of 178%.

The OCR is at its highest level since late 2008, during the GFC. Earlier that year, it peaked at 8.25%.

The last government to be voted out after just two terms was Labour government of 1984-1990 (Lange/Palmer/Moore). Every government since then has lasted three terms (nine years).

First Republic Bank, which was closed and sold to banking heavyweight JPMorgan Chase. Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank collapsed, while Silvergate Bank went into liquidation.

Online travel business Serko was the top performer in the NZX 50 in 2023, with a return of 91%. Sky TV came in second place, rising 29%.

Canterbury is the only place where house prices have increased, with a gain of 5.3% in the year to November 2023.

The last time the Fed Funds Rate was this high was back in 2001. During the GFC, it reached 5.25%.

Net migration gain was 128,900 in the year to October 2023, the highest on record for an annual period.

In 2011 the Warriors played a preliminary final in Melbourne against the Storm. They won, which took them to their second NRL Grand Final appearance, which they lost to Manly. Encouragingly, 2024 looks to be our year.