A lot has changed…

Technology has made the world smaller. Things move fast and things change even faster. The news, views, and concerns of the world make it to our screens in the matter of seconds. When it comes to wealth management and investing, it can be hard to keep perspective.

October 2, 2020

RESULTS at a glance – 3Q20

A resurgence of COVID-19 cases is keeping the market on its toes. Stocks remain down year-to-date in most regions, however the S&P500 hit new highs in September, demonstrating a divergence between the economy and the stock market in the States. Bond yields moved up marginally from Q2 but remain low […]
October 2, 2020

RESULTS at a glance – 2Q20

While COVID-19 continued to stifle business activity, markets recovered some of their losses from the Q1 nose dive. Stocks in Canada, the US and internationally managed to reduce their year-to-date losses to the high-single-digit/low-double-digit range. Policy rates remain close to zero and governments continue to explore further stimulus options. Oil prices […]
April 3, 2020

RESULTS at a glance – 1Q20

COVID-19 hit markets hard in the first quarter of 2020. With countries restricting travel and populations practicing social distancing, markets in Canada, the U.S., and internationally fell by approximately 20 to 25 per cent from their 2019 year-end values. Emergency rate cuts in Canada and the U.S. effectively brought policy […]
March 5, 2020

Coronavirus Uncertainty – Framing the Situation

Many are concerned that a new strain of coronavirus that has ravaged China may prompt the recession we have been expecting for so long, spreading globally and forcing factories to shut down, consumers to stay home and businesses to shrink operations. The concern has led to a newsworthy sell off […]
January 24, 2020

RESULTS at a glance – 4Q19

Markets had a tremendous year, fully reversing the slump that occurred in 2018 and pushing past new highs in Canada and the U.S. Yields fell in Canada and the U.S., with three Federal Funds rate cuts causing a steeper decline in the States. Oil prices rebounded following rising tensions with […]
November 22, 2019

Deflating the Index Fund Bubble Argument

Back in September, Bloomberg released an interview with hedge fund manager Michael Burry (link). Burry is famous for predicting the housing market bubble of 2008; he is even depicted by Christian Bale in “The Big Short” film, based on the book by Michael Lewis. In this interview, however, Burry expressed […]
October 7, 2019

RESULTS at a glance – 3Q19

Trends from the first half of the year continued into the third quarter of 2019. Canadian and U.S. markets sustained their turbulent upward trajectory while 10-year government yields continued to sink, with the Federal Reserve cutting rates twice since the end of July. With the Bank of Canada holding steady […]
August 19, 2019

Attention to Detail – August 2019

Strategic Value Investing: Industry Analysis (GuruFocus) In the world of active management, investors can be easily infatuated by the qualities of a company. A business with healthy margins, high historical growth rates, and a solid balance sheet may stand out as an attractive buy. But as this month’s article points […]
February 24, 2022

Russia Invades Ukraine – What It Means for Markets

After weeks of warnings from the US about Russia’s intentions to invade Ukraine, it appears America’s fear has become reality. Having already declared the independence of separatist regions in Eastern Ukraine, a move largely condemned by the global community, shelling has now been reported in Kyiv and locations throughout the […]
January 11, 2022

RESULTS at a glance – 4Q21

North American stocks were red-hot in 2021 thanks to a speedy vaccine rollout, stimulus, and high discretionary income, but yields have risen on expectations of rate hikes in 2022. The energy sector led the charge thanks to rising oil prices, although in Canada the performance did not translate into a […]
October 4, 2021

RESULTS at a glance – 3Q21

Markets in North America maintained their outsized return despite the quarter largely seeing its upwards progress erased by concerns around the downfall of Chinese behemoth Evergrande (see blog post here) and rising rates, although yields were only up marginally for the quarter. Elsewhere returns remained muted. The loonie strengthened on […]
September 27, 2021

Evergrande – What Is It and Why Are Markets Worried?

If you’ve been tuning into any financial news outlets lately, chances are you’ve been hearing the name “Evergrande” floating around as the reason for last week’s market volatility, with many comparing the company’s imminent collapse to that of Lehman Brothers, the American financial institution who’s bankruptcy kicked off the 2008 […]
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