July 2017 Portfolio Review
July was a continuation of June, with bonds down on worries over higher interest rates, and equity market were mixed with a stronger Canadian dollar acting as a further headwind. In this environment, the portfolios were again in negative territory. The Conservative Portfolio lost 1.1%, the Balanced Portfolio was off by 1.4%, and our Growth Portfolio fell by 1.7%. For a detailed review of the...
Read MoreNovember 2016 Portfolio Review
With Trump’s surprising election win, North American equity markets have been on a tear, with the U.S. markets hitting new highs, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average flirting with the 20,000 mark. European and emerging markets have not fared as well, with Europe losing ground on internal issues, and emerging markets selling off on fears that a new protectionist U.S. regime will hurt the region’s growth prospects.
While equity markets have celebrated, fixed income markets have not. With worries that Trump policies will spur inflation and economic growth, bonds, both in the U.S. and here at home have sold off, pushing yields higher.
Read MoreJune 2016 Portfolio Review
June was a rocky month for investors, with uncertainty into the Brexit vote taking investors on a wild ride. Even with the conservative positioning of the portfolios, it was a disappointing month, with each finishing in negative territory, and each lagging their respective benchmark.
Read MoreMarch 2016 Portfolio Review
Despite a rocky couple of months to the year, equity markets had a solid March to close out the first quarter. With some stability returning to the energy markets, the S&P/TSX Composite gained 5.3% in March, ending the quarter 4.5% higher. Global markets, despite a positive month weren’t able to climb out of the holes dug in January and February. The S&P 500 ended the quarter 4.9% lower,...
Read MoreFebruary 2016 Portfolio Review
February was another tough month for investors, with most global equity indices finishing in negative territory. The S&P 500 was down 0.13% in U.S. dollar terms, while the MSCI EAFE Index was lower by nearly 2%. With both gold and oil showing some strength, the S&P/TSX Composite managed to eke out a modest 0.5% rise. Another benefactor to this strength was the Canadian dollar, which...
Read MoreNovember 2015 Portfolio Review
Global equity markets were mixed, with the S&P 500 gaining a modest 0.3% in U.S. dollar terms. However, thanks to a further rise in the U.S. dollar, the return was 2.4% in Canadian dollar terms. The MSCI EAFE Index was in the red in local currency terms, but managed to eke out a 0.4% rise in Canadian dollar terms. With China continuing to struggle, the MSCI Emerging Markets Index lost nearly...
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