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Weekly Update for the week ending November 22, 2024

What Falling Interest Rates Mean for Your Portfolio

Last week, we explored how rising interest rates can challenge investors. This week, let us flip the script and talk about something that could actually work in your favour—falling rates. When interest rates drop, it is not just borrowers who feel the relief. If you know where to look, your stock portfolio can benefit too.

Why Do Central Banks Lower Interest Rates?
Central banks, like the Bank of Canada (BoC) or the US Federal Reserve (Fed), lower interest rates to stimulate a sluggish economy. Cheaper borrowing encourages spending and investment, helping businesses expand, creating jobs, and keeping inflation in check. Think of it as their way of giving the economy a boost when growth hits a wall.

Weekly Update for the week ending August 2, 2024

This past week, the US Federal Reserve (Fed) announced that it would keep the benchmark interest rate at 5.5%, a move that was widely expected. However, the Fed also hinted at the possibility of a rate cut in September, as inflation cools and the labour market shows signs of slowing. The Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) unanimously agreed to maintain the federal funds rate in the 5.25% to 5.5% range, where it has been for the past year.

Weekly Update for the week ending November 10, 2023

Canadian Economic news, US Economic news …

It is earnings report season again, this time for the third quarter. The number of companies reporting in the three portfolios has been increasing steadily, reaching 35 this week. I admit it can cause one’s eyes to glaze over, however, these reports are crucial to understanding how the companies you own are faring.

With all the reports this past week, fortunately, there were no key economic reports in Canada or the US this past week. Otherwise, this Weekly Update would have gone on forever, writing it certainly seemed like it did. Sigh! 😊