This year was supposed to be a mixed one for stocks, with rising interest rates, stubbornly high inflation, and lower commodity prices expected to be headwinds for Canadian and U.S. stocks. But it hasn’t turned out that way. In spite of economic uncertainty, the S&P 500 is up 17.5% year-to-date, the NASDAQ has rallied an […]
16
Nov
Nov
The Canadian dollar has reversed the gains it made against the U.S. dollar in the first half of the year. The Canadian dollar performed well in the opening quarters of 2023, climbing 3.6% against the U.S. dollar. The loonie was actually the best performing major G-10 currency in June after rising 2.4%. That momentum carried […]
08
Nov
Nov
Halloween may be over but that doesn’t mean it isn’t still scary on Bay Street and Wall Street. On July 27 the S&P 500 hit a 52-week high of 4,240, putting it up 19.5% year-to-date. The big moves defied logic, with inflation stubbornly high and interest rates still on the rise. But then stocks started […]
25
Oct
Oct
Canada’s inflation rate unexpectedly dipped in September to 3.8%. That’s down from 4.0% in August. The 3.8% figure is below the 4.0% figure economists were expecting inflation to come in at. The cooling of Canada’s inflation was pretty broad based too, with prices falling for some travel-related services, durable goods, and groceries. The latter of […]
17
Oct
Oct
Bank of Canada Governor Tiff Macklem said that the central bank’s aggressive interest rate policy is working at bringing down inflation. After raising its key lending rate 10 times since the start of 2022, from 0.25% to 5.0%, Canada’s inflation rate has retraced from a 39-year high of 8.1% in June 2022 to 4.0% today. […]
10
Oct
Oct
With many economists and analysts still predicting Canada will enter a recession in 2024, investors may be wondering what they should do? Capitulate, wait on the sidelines, or get involved? What Are the Odds of a Soft-Landing Recession? First things first, the long-promised recession has not yet materialized but most believe it will. The Bank […]
03
Oct
Oct
Economists have been predicting a recession in Canada and the U.S. for months now. Despite decades-high inflation and an unprecedented interest rate hike policy, a recession has yet to materialize. If anything, the Canadian economy has proven to been more resilient than many expected. But cracks are beginning to appear. Economic growth is slowing, jobs […]
27
Sep
Sep
Canada’s inflation rate unexpectedly jumped in August for the second month in a row. This increases the odds that the Bank of Canada could increase interest rates at least once more this year. After pausing its overnight lending rate earlier in September, investors were optimistic that it would hold interest rates at 5%. Will The […]
20
Sep
Sep
For the most parts, stocks have been having a pretty solid year with the S&P 500 climbing 17.4% from January through August and the TSX up 4.68% over the same period. These gains come despite stubbornly high inflation, high interest rates, and ongoing fears about a recession. Even the Cboe Volatility Index (VIX), which is […]
12
Sep
Sep
On September 6, the Bank of Canada announced it was holdings its key interest rate at 5%. In a prepared statement the country’s central bank said the cooling job market and slowing economic growth were two reasons why it opted to pause its benchmark lending rate. The Bank of Canada said, however, that should inflationary […]
