When I initially began reporting on Canadian and US economic news, I found myself overwhelmed by the sheer volume of inflation-related data. To streamline my coverage, I made the strategic decision to concentrate solely on the key indicators scrutinized by the Bank of Canada (BoC) and the US Federal Reserve (Fed).
Category Archives: Commentary
What if the US Defaults on its Debt?
With interest rate updates a week away for both countries, the immediate concern for investors is the fast-approaching deadline for lifting the US debt ceiling.
2023 First Quarter Review
Since the start of the first quarter, all four of the major North American indexes – Toronto Stock Exchange Composite Index (TSX), the S&P 500 Index (S&P), the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA), and the Nasdaq Composite Index (Nasdaq) – finished the quarter higher than they started, as were the three portfolios. Let’s take a […]
48 hours: The Demise of a Bank
The markets were roiled the week ending March 10 by the collapse of the SVB Financial Group (NASD:SIVB), the banker to more than half of the US technology and healthcare startups. The fall of SIVB not only reverberated though the US financial sector but rippled throughout global markets, banking stocks in particular. SIVB was the […]
Central Banks
While preparing the Weekly Updates, I was increasingly writing about the Bank of Canada and the US Federal Reserve, the central banks for Canada and the USA, respectively. I knew they were central banks and they set the interest rates for their respective nations but that was about it. I soon discovered their actions had […]
Fourth Quarter and Twelve Month Review
After twelve months of watching global storm clouds constantly pound the three portfolios lower, finally a ray of light. Not much of a ray but at least the storm clouds started to recede. Since the start of the fourth quarter, three of the four major North American indexes finished the quarter higher than they started. […]