The tech heavy NASDAQ racked up another record on July 13, hitting an intra-day high of 14,803.68, juiced by a positive start to earnings season and fears that the Federal Reserve will tighten its generous monetary policy on the backburner. The big question is, what will the NASDAQ do in the back half of 2021? […]
13
Jul
Jul
Crude oil prices have been on a tear, hitting a three-year high of $74.74 per barrel on June 28. Since the start of 2021, crude oil prices have advanced approximately 50%; that’s a remarkable recovery when oil prices cratered to negative $40 per barrel in April 2020. Oil prices have experienced huge gains since the […]
06
Jul
Jul
In early June, the Bank of Canada held its key lending rate at 0.25%, despite inflation running at its hottest levels in 10 years. The reasoning is that inflation is primarily spiking because the Canadian economy was shut down a year ago due to the coronavirus pandemic. Once the economy fully opens later this year, […]
29
Jun
Jun
Canadian retail sales have been on a roller coaster ride over the last number of months. Most recently, in April, Canadian retail sales plunged 5.7%, the biggest drop since the start of the pandemic. The big decline follows months of ups and down in retail spending, and shows that economic recovery, which many analysts believe […]
23
Jun
Jun
Last week, the S&P 500 flashed a signal that we don’t see often, but when we do, we pay attention. The last time we saw this signal … … the market lost 50% of its value over the coming months. Those that weren’t prepared lost a large percentage of their investment accounts. But you don’t have […]
22
Jun
Jun
The Bank of Canada announced that it is holding its key lending rate at 0.25% noting that rising inflation is only temporary. While the central bank might say inflation will cool down later this year, right now, inflation is at it’s highest level in 10 years. This is making everything from gas to food, clothing, […]
15
Jun
Jun
Stocks are trading at all-time highs, thanks in large part to the low interest rate environment, overly generous monetary stimulus, and investor euphoria about expected strong post-pandemic economic growth. But a large number of economic indicators show that stocks are seriously over-valued, and, according to some on Wall Street, stocks could crash as much as […]
08
Jun
Jun
Because of COVID-19, the state of the global economy, and ongoing uncertainty about just how long the pandemic could last, gold prices experienced significant growth in 2020. From January to early July 2020, gold prices soared 37.5% and were trading at their highest levels ever. Gold rallied again this past May; while strong U.S. economic […]
In this month’s market review, our Chief Options Specialist, Jason Ayres, reflects on the May market conditions. Now that we are halfway through the year, let’s look back at a few events that shaped the market Biden won the election and inventors believed that administration would do what it takes to help the economic recovery. […]
03
Jun
Jun
The Canadian dollar continues to be the most bullish currency among all G10 countries. The month of May marked the fourth straight monthly win for the loonie against the U.S. dollar. The Canadian dollar has gained approximately 1.8% since the start of the month and has rallied 6.0% since the start of February. How Is […]