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Weekly Update for the week ending September 5, 2025

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September Slump: Will This Year Be Different?
September has a bit of a bad reputation on Wall Street. Historically, it’s the weakest month for stocks – a pattern often called the “September Effect.” Unlike other market drops tied to clear events, this is more of a seasonal trend. Some say investors pull back after the summer rally to lock in profits. Others point to mutual funds and big institutions rebalancing portfolios ahead of year-end, which adds selling pressure. Add in traders returning from summer holidays with a cautious outlook, and September has often leaned negative.

History has delivered some painful reminders. In 2008, during the financial crisis, the S&P 500 plunged nearly 9% in a single September. In 2001, the 9/11 attacks triggered a steep selloff. More recently, in 2022, the index slid almost 10% as rising interest rates rattled investors.

So, what could make this September another challenging month?

Weekly Update for the week ending August 8, 2025

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An Ominous Start to a Historically Volatile Month
Well, August didn’t waste any time making waves. Both the Canadian and US markets opened the month with sharp declines on August 1, but the storm clouds actually started forming the day before. President Trump signed an executive order imposing new import duties, ranging from 10% to 41%, on about 90 countries. Canada was hit with a hefty 35% rate, alongside India, Taiwan, and others. The tariffs didn’t take effect until August 7, but the announcement alone rattled markets, fuelling worries about renewed trade tensions and rising inflation risks.

Then came Friday’s US jobs report, which landed with a thud. Payroll growth in July came in roughly 25% below expectations, and to make matters worse, May and June were revised down by a combined 258,000 jobs. That raised fresh concerns about a slowing economy.

Weekly Update for the week ending April 11, 2025

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The sell-off at the start of the week wiped out the past 12 months of gains, with stocks edging closer to bear market territory. Since the previous Thursday, US markets saw their steepest three-day decline since 1987 – and before that, not since World War II. Meanwhile, Canada’s TSX Composite Index (TSX) experienced its sharpest drop since the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. This time, though, the damage was self-inflicted—and, frankly, far from fun. ☹

Weekly Update for the week ending January 24, 2025

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Dividend Fallacy
When a friend told me they were choosing stocks based on dividend yields, it got me thinking—how many of us have fallen into this same trap? High dividend yields can feel like a golden ticket, but are they always as good as they seem? Let’s look at two common pitfalls: the “dividend fallacy” and the “dividend trap.”

Weekly Update for the week ending December 13, 2024

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How Economic Indicators Influence the Stock Market

Ever wonder how the broader economy ties into your investments? Economic indicators like Gross Domestic Product (GDP), unemployment rates, and inflation serve as the heartbeat of the economy, giving us a window into its health and influencing stock market movements. Understanding these metrics can feel like unlocking a cheat code – helping you spot trends, anticipate changes, and make decisions with confidence. Let us explore these key indicators and their influence on your investments.