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Canadian Economy Contracts in August After being on a tear, it looks like the Canadian economy might be taking a breather, or worst yet, starting to cool. In the first quarter, the Canadian economy advanced at 3.7%, in the second quarter, it surged 4.5%.1,2 For the first six months of 2017, Canada’s economy expanded by […]

Oil Prices Near Two-Year High, But for How Long? West Texas Intermediate is trading near a two-year high at $54.00 per barrel, as the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), and other-major non-OPEC oil producers (minus the U.S. and Canada) says it will stick with its intended production cuts through 2018. This has resulted in […]

What Do Tensions with North Korea Mean for the Markets? Tension between the United States and North Korea is ratcheting up and many are now considering the likelihood of something unmanageable just a few years ago: war with the hermit state. Even the Japanese government has stepped in and called North Korea a “critical and […]

Canadian Economic Outlook Looks Gloomy After starting out the year with a bang, the Canadian economy appears to be slowing down. In the first quarter, Canada’s gross domestic product (GDP) was 3.7%1 and in the second, GDP was an even stronger 4.5%.2 But now economic data points to a slowdown, and that could put the […]

U.S. Economic Outlook Slashed for Third Quarter The Federal Reserve does not think the devastating effects of Hurricane Irma and Hurricane Maria will have a long-lasting influence on the U.S. economy. But when it comes to the near term, Irma and Maria are expected to have a huge impact on U.S. gross domestic product (GDP) […]

Is a Stock Market Crash Coming in 2018? The economic expansion that helped propel stocks to record levels is about to celebrate its 10th anniversary. While not an exact science, the cyclical nature of the economy predicts a downturn approximately every 10 years. The last one, in 2008, led to the Great Recession and wiped […]

Is cryptocurrency the money of the future or will it explode and take investor money with it? Bitcoin-like cryptocurrency have become a global phenomenon and, for some investors, has taken over gold as a safe haven asset. But should Bitcoin or other decentralized cryptocurrencies be in everyone’s portfolio? Just like you would with any currency, […]

Gold Prices at 12-Month High on Strong Momentum Gold prices recently hit $1,350 an ounce on mounting concerns about the strength of the U.S. economy, the weak U.S. dollar, and escalating tensions with North Korea. Bullion may be a at a 12-month high and some analysts are predicting a pull-back, but ongoing economic and political […]

Central Bank Surprises Markets, Raises Key Lending Rate The Bank of Canada raised its key lending rate on September 5 to one percent, up from a rate hike to 0.75% in July. The two rate hikes in 2017 erase the two rate cuts that came in 2015 in response to plunging oil prices.1 “Recent economic […]

U.S. Economic Outlook Dire if Government Shuts Down  Standard & Poor has warned of a dire outcome for the U.S. economy if the White House and lawmakers fail to reach a deal to keep the government operating and avert a default. Because of the urgency to address the flooding in Houston, the likelihood of a […]