Q1 Rewards Investors with strong gains
Global markets outpace Canada as materials continue to drag The first quarter of 2013 rewarded investors, as global equity markets surged higher. The U.S. led the way with the S&P 500 rising by nearly 13%, finishing at a record high. International equities were also strong, as the MSCI EAFE Index and MSCI World Index rose by 7.4% and 10.1% respectively. Were it not for the rise in the...
Read MoreInvestors Rewarded Despite Mixed Signals
Most markets rally higher, Canadian dollar weakness amplifies gains for Canadian investors. February was another profitable month for investors with all major equity and fixed income markets moving higher. In Canada, the S&P / TSX Composite Index gained 1.3% on the month. U.S. equities were higher with the S&P 500 gaining 1.4% in U.S. dollar terms. For Canadian investors, the gain was...
Read More2013 Starts out Strong for Equity Markets
S&P 500 shows best monthly gain since October 2011. All equity markets in the black. Bonds post losses. 2013 started out very well with all major equity markets in positive territory. The S&P/TSX Composite Index gained 2.25% during the month, but lagged its global brethren. The S&P 500 gained 5.73% in Canadian dollar terms, while the MSCI EAFE Index rose by 5.74%. In fact, the...
Read More2013 – A look ahead
Expect more of the same in 2013 – continued uncertainty, modest growth and equities over fixed income Now that the holiday decorations have been put away for another year and my first New Year’s resolution has been broken, it’s time to look ahead at the investment environment for 2013. Not surprisingly, we expect that 2013 will look an awful lot like 2012 with headline risk being the main...
Read MoreNovember 2012 Market Commentary
With Obama winning a second term in the White House, fears over the potential impact of the fiscal cliff of automatic tax increases and spending cuts caused a selloff in many of the commodity focused sectors. Many worry that if the cliff is not averted, the U.S. and global economy will be thrust into a recession, which will lessen demand for commodities. Precious metals companies were also hit...
Read MoreOctober 2012 Market Commentary
Despite data showing that U.S. manufacturing continued to expand pushing GDP growth higher than expected, reducing unemployment, it was concern over the impending “fiscal cliff” which weighed on U.S. markets in October and since the November election. The fiscal cliff is the combination of the expiration of Bush era tax cuts and a slew of massive spending cuts that are slated to take effect in...
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