How Oil Moves Markets
Rising oil prices can set off a chain reaction that reaches far beyond the gas pump. Here’s how oil can influence inflation, interest rates, bond yields and ultimately stock prices.
Tag: crwd
The AI Revolution: Understanding the Technology Behind the Investment Boom
If you’ve been following the stock market over the past couple of years, you’ve probably noticed that artificial intelligence (AI) has become one of the hottest topics in investing.
Nearly every earnings call now mentions AI. Technology companies such as Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) and Alphabet (the parent of Google) (NASDAQ: GOOGL) are spending hundreds of billions of dollars building AI infrastructure, while businesses across almost every industry are looking for ways to incorporate AI into their products and services. Yet despite all the attention, many people still aren’t sure what AI actually is or why it has become so important.
That investment involves far more than the AI software most of us interact with. It spans chips, memory, networking equipment, data centres, electricity, cloud computing, and the software and applications that turn AI into something businesses and consumers can use.
Before we can understand why companies are investing so heavily in AI, it helps to first understand what AI is – and what it isn’t.
Monthly Portfolio Update August 2026
After a volatile July, the US markets got off to a positive start in August, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) setting a record closing high on the first trading day. It would set two more records during the month, while the S&P 500 Index (S&P) established three of its own. The Nasdaq Composite Index (Nasdaq), despite being the top-performing index in August, remained below its June record. The Canadian market joined in, with the Toronto Stock Exchange Composite Index (TSX) setting four new record closing highs before ending the month just below its peak. Better yet, all three of my portfolios also finished the month higher than they started! 😊
Weekly Update for the week ending September 4, 2026
The AI Revolution: Understanding the Technology Behind the Investment Boom
AI is far more than Nvidia and a handful of high-profile technology companies. From chips, memory, and networking to data centres, power, cloud computing, software, and cybersecurity, AI depends on an enormous ecosystem of businesses. In the final part of The AI Revolution, we look at how investors can participate in that ecosystem – and why finding the right investment may be about more than simply finding the next big AI company.
Monthly Portfolio Update July 2026
July was a month of shifting investor preferences, with the major indexes moving in noticeably different directions. The Toronto Stock Exchange Composite Index (TSX) and Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA), with their greater exposure to traditional companies, extended their monthly winning streaks. Meanwhile, the more growth-oriented S&P 500 Index (S&P) and Nasdaq Composite Index (Nasdaq) extended their monthly losing streaks. Just as the markets had a mixed month, so did my three portfolios. And like the major indexes, the portfolios showed how different sector exposure can produce very different results, particularly when technology stocks fall out of favour.
Weekly Update for the week ending August 28, 2026
The AI Revolution: Understanding the Technology Behind the Investment Boom
Why are companies willing to spend hundreds of billions of dollars on AI? The answer comes down to competition. From Google’s AI-powered Search to Walmart’s use of AI to improve productivity and the customer experience, businesses are looking for ways to reduce costs, increase revenue, and gain an advantage over their rivals. In Part 6 of The AI Revolution, we explore why the fear of falling behind may be just as powerful a force behind today’s AI spending as the potential rewards.