Financial
Focus

Our personal expertise and insight into the financial landscape and how it might affect our West Oak families.

Big Events in Calgary Celebration for the Arts: This annual event at Jack Singer Concert Hall on May 4 continues to be a cherished tradition of honouring the artists and arts organizations that shape our city and recognizing outstanding achievements. For more information, visit Celebration of the Arts. YYC Italian Wine Fest: Visit Bridgeland’s Community Association on May 30 to celebrate Italian wine, food and culture Calgary style. Sip your way through Italy with bold reds, refreshing whites, and everything in between, each thoughtfully paired with Italian‑inspired dishes that keep the tasting experience going strong. To learn more, visit YYC Italian Wine Fest.
Big Events in Calgary Chinook Blast Winter Festival: Visit Eau Claire Plaza between January 30 and February 16 to enjoy Calgary’s signature winter festival. It unites partners from the arts, nonprofit, neighbourhood, tourism and sports communities to celebrate the spirit of the city in an inclusive and vibrant way. To learn more, visit Chinook Blast. Skijordue ’26: Skijoring is the fastest growing winter sport in North America, drawing a diverse group of participants spanning generations and genres to dynamic events showcasing skills, speed and style. Skijordue is taking place at the Confluence Historic Site in Calgary on February 21 & 22, 2026. Visit Skijordue '26 for more information.
Christmas Markets and Events in Calgary Spruce Meadows International Christmas Market - Step into a festive wonderland filled with twinkling décor—perfect for finding unique gifts, enjoying cozy indoor charm, and savoring the magic of winter outdoors. To learn more, visit Spruce Meadows Christmas Market. Art Market Christmas Craft Sale – Visit the Telus Convention Centre November 20-23 to discover extraordinary treasures you won’t find anywhere else. With a curated showcase of over 200 of Canada’s finest artisans and makers, you’re sure to find one-of-a-kind gifts and special holiday items. Visit Art Market Craft Sale for more information.
Recessions typically begin when an already vulnerable economy is hit with a shock—think pandemic, global financial crisis, market bubbles, and excessive leverage. The U.S. economy had been showing signs of weakness before President Trump got elected, and the shock has come in the form of tariffs and a global trade war.
The U.S. has been the best performing developed equity market for over a decade and makes up the vast majority of the equity component within client portfolios. Part of the benefit of having been invested in the U.S. market has been having exposure to the U.S. dollar and its appreciation over the loonie, which has helped to enhance the return within portfolios. With this said, we believe that we may be at a tipping point for the U.S. dollar and its ability to appreciate in a much more meaningful way in the quarters and years to come.
Happy fall and welcome to tax planning season! Each year it is like a light switch is dimmed — summer comes to an end, there is a noticeable chill in the air and our thoughts turn to Thanksgiving and taxes! (or maybe that’s just us?). Thanksgiving is a time of reflection, being thankful and spending time with family but it is also a time to think of others less fortunate and consider ways to support the community.
The only time that the S&P 500 has been as expensive as it is today, was during the dot-com bubble in 2000. With that said, the overvaluation is concentrated among the 10 largest companies within the index. The conundrum is that over the past year, their overall contribution to earnings to the index stood at 26.8%, which doesn’t align with their total market weight of 37%—putting them at risk of a meaningful valuation correction.
We wrote in our last newsletter that high beta growth technology accounted for the vast majority of returns in 2023, an area of the market that we had very little exposure to and thus performance was below expectations, however, this has not been the case for 2024. Yes, the tech heavy NASDAQ index has posted good returns so far this year but so have other areas of the market such as energy, industrials, materials, and health care.
When making investment decisions at West Oak Family Office, we look to the signals from markets and the economy in order to avoid the noise that so many investors tend to get caught up in.