Good news all round.

It was a stand out month with all asset classes performing strongly. In many sectors the performance was the highest for many months.

Bonds perform strongly in Australia and overseas.

The Australian bond market had its best monthly performance since April 2005. The local market took its lead from the international bond market that was up 1.6% for the month, the highest monthly return since August 2004.

Australian and global property both deliver impressive returns.

The index for Australian Listed Property was up 3.8% for the month. This asset class was the strongest performer in August. Global property added 3.0% for the month.

Share markets rose on the back of profit growth.

In Australia, the reporting season delivered impressive results that supported share prices and pushed the overall market up. The story was similar on the global stage with profit growth firing markets.