Food For Thought: A Weaker Canadian Dollar
The Canadian dollar’s (CAD) weakness has raised questions about its broader impact and the path forward: The CAD is trading below its historical average. To start 2025, it fell below 68 U.S. cents – a level not seen in two decades. The decline has been driven by factors such as diverging U.S. and Canadian monetary […]
A Credit Downgrade: What’s In A Rating
In May, Moody’s downgraded the U.S. credit rating from the top Aaa to Aa1. This move by one of the major credit ratings agencies – S&P and Fitch are the other two – raised the question: Does a downgrade matter? First, what is a rating? A credit rating assesses a borrower’s ability and willingness to […]
Tariff Talk: Where Do We Stand?
In brief, here are four perspectives on Canada/U.S. trade: 1. The U.S. is Canada’s main export market. In 2023, Canadian total exports were valued at C$965 billion, with 77 percent going to the U.S. No other nation accounts for more than 5 percent of Canada’s exports.1 2. Canada is the U.S.’s largest export market. However, […]
The Illusion of Speed
It has been said that “there are decades where nothing seems to happen, and there are weeks where decades happen.” The sweeping global tariffs, announced by the U.S. on April’s “Liberation Day,” caught the world off guard – disrupting long-held norms in global trade and world order. This may signal the beginning of a new […]
The Merits of Hanging In (& Why April Felt So Bad)
It’s been a wild ride this year – and we’re only halfway through. If April’s market movements felt unsettling, you weren’t mistaken. While volatility is a natural part of equity markets, the magnitude of April’s decline was unusual. A two-day drop of more than 10 percent in the S&P 500, seen over April 3 and […]
A Cloud of Uncertainty
The rhetorical tautology, “Predictions are difficult, especially about the future” may feel particularly relevant today.1 The start of 2025 has been marked by low visibility, with two events casting a cloud of uncertainty over investor sentiment: the launch of DeepSeek’s AI platform – claiming to be a significantly lower-cost model – and U.S. President Trump […]
Uncertain Times: Defensive Strategies for Investors
“The desire to perform all the time is usually a barrier to doing well in the long run.”- Howard Marks With slower economic growth, an evolving tariff situation and rising geopolitical uncertainty, many investors may be looking at ways to take a more defensive stance in their portfolios. A Flight to Safety: The Increasing Attention […]
The Evolving Trade War: Is A Recession Looming
When the U.S. launched a trade war in January, many were quick to warn of a possible recession. With Canada’s economy already growing at a sluggish pace – GDP growth is projected at just 1.8 percent for 2025 – the Bank of Canada estimated that a blanket 25 percent tariff would reduce annual GDP growth […]
Four Perspectives on the Investment Impact of the U.S. Election
Politics and money are never far apart. Election years frequently bring about questions surrounding changes to public policies, potential regulatory shifts and the ensuing effects on the markets and economy. This year’s U.S. election has been no exception, with investors keeping a close eye on possible changes that could influence industries, sectors and the overall […]
Half Full or Half Empty?
How do you view the glass – half full or half empty? This question aptly captures the dual nature of sentiment today. On one hand, our standard of living is among the highest in history, fuelled by technological advances, improved quality of life, substantial and growing wealth and increased life expectancy. On the other hand, […]