If you’ve felt the sting at the gas pump lately, you’re not alone. Since the US/Israel–Iran conflict began, oil prices have shot up and continue to climb. Brent crude oil is over 50% higher, West Texas Intermediate (WTI) nearly 70%. But the impact goes beyond filling up your vehicle, pushing up transportation costs and, in turn, the price of goods on store shelves – in other words, inflation. In this week’s update, let’s look at the differences between Brent and WTI oil (what are they anyway?), where does Canadian oil fit in, and why are these rising prices rippling through the economy.
Tag: cls
A Brief History of the North American Stock Exchanges
As I mentioned in my November 28, 2025 Weekly Update [link to Nov 28 update], I recently came across a stock I assumed was listed on Canada’s largest and most senior stock market, the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSE), only to discover it was actually trading on its junior counterpart, the TSX Venture Exchange. That small mix-up sent me down a rabbit hole into how Canada’s exchanges are structured and how they came to be.
Weekly Update for the week ending January 16, 2026
Under Pressure: Fed Independence Under Fire
With apologies to Queen and David Bowie, the US government has turned up the pressure on the US Federal Reserve, and on Chair Jerome Powell in particular, to fall in line with President Trump’s push for lower interest rates. For investors, the question isn’t politics – it’s how this could rattle markets and shake confidence in US interest rates.
Monthly Portfolio Update November 2025
Monthly Portfolio Update November 2025
November didn’t feel like a typically strong month for the markets, even though most major indexes still finished in the green. After such a strong run over the past six months — including a stronger than expected September and October — I had expected that momentum to carry right into year-end. Instead of the strong month I’d been expecting, the markets were quite volatile in November, a month that normally gives investors a smoother ride.
Weekly Update for the week ending November 28, 2025
The TSX: From Trading Club to Major Market
A few weeks ago, while writing the weekly portfolio update, I came across a stock I assumed was on the Toronto Stock Exchange, only to discover it was actually on the TSX Venture Exchange. Then I saw another company I thought was a Venture listing but was actually on the main TSX. That mix-up sent me down a rabbit hole about how the Exchange works and its history. I found the story surprisingly interesting, and this week I thought I’d share some of that history behind Canada’s largest stock market – the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX).
Monthly Portfolio Update October 2025
For the sixth month in a row, all four major North American indexes finished in the green: the 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). The Nasdaq continued to lead the pack, rising more than 4% for the second straight month and marking its seventh monthly gain in a row – its longest stretch since early 2018. The TSX, S&P, and DJIA each posted their sixth straight monthly gain, with the DJIA’s streak being its longest since January 2018, the TSX’s longest since mid-2021, and the S&P’s longest since late 2021.