Market Commentary June 2012
After a relatively tame first-quarter, volatility returned to the global equity markets with a vengeance, whipsawing stocks with a ferocity that was reminiscent of 2008. Despite a modest rally in June, the S&P/TSX Composite Index still lost 5.67% on the quarter. Global markets seemed to hold up a little better, with the S&P 500 shedding 1.0% and the MSCI EAFE Index dropping 5.0% during the quarter. Not surprisingly, fixed income fared well, gaining 2.2% as investors flocked to bonds on their safe haven appeal.
Read MoreMarket Commentary May 2012
Whoever said that April was the cruelest month likely didn’t have any money invested in the global equity markets in May. Equity markets were hit particularly hard, with the MSCI EAFE Index dropping by more than 7% during the month. The S&P 500 fell by 6% in U.S. dollar terms, while closer to home, the S&P/TSX Composite Index dropped by 6.1%.
Read MoreMarket Commentary – March 2012
For the past year, market sentiment has been dominated largely by the debt crisis that continues to boil over in Europe, causing fear and panic among investors. In the first quarter of 2012, this situation was merely simmering, allowing investors to focus on the economic recovery that appears to be well underway in North America. Sentiment was buoyed by encouraging data in the U.S. showing that...
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