March was a turbulent month for the markets, with both Canadian and US stocks experiencing sharp swings. The S&P 500 (S&P) and the Nasdaq Composite (Nasdaq) had their worst month since December 2022, tumbling 5.8% and 8.2%, respectively. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) didn’t fare much better, dropping 4.2%, while the Toronto Stock Exchange Composite Index (TSX) was the best of a bad lot, falling ‘only’ 1.9%. The main culprit? President Donald Trump rolled out a wave of new tariffs, reigniting fears of a global trade war that could stifle economic growth and drive inflation higher.
Tag: dividends
Monthly Portfolio Update February 2025
Monthly Market and Portfolio Review February was a rollercoaster for North American markets, with early gains wiped out by a sharp drop at month’s end, as shown in the chart below. The biggest market mover was renewed tariff threats on Canada, Mexico, and China. While investors initially reacted with uncertainty, many began tuning out the […]
Monthly Portfolio Update January 2025
January was a comeback month for the markets, with all four major North American indexes finishing in the green and getting back in the win column. The rally was fueled by strong earnings, solid economic data, and the Fed’s decision to keep interest rates steady. Excitement around AI also played a big role, pushing technology stocks higher—at least for most of the month. But it wasn’t all smooth sailing.
The Power of Dividends
The Power of Dividends
The markets kicked off the week of January 27–31 on shaky ground, with the Nasdaq sliding more than 3% on Monday. As I’ve said before, markets don’t like surprises—and Monday morning delivered a big one. A Chinese artificial intelligence (AI) company announced that its AI assistant could match the performance of major American AI bots while using a fraction of the resources—cheaper chips and smaller data sets. This sent shockwaves through the market, raising doubts about whether the massive spending on AI by heavyweight tech companies will generate the returns many are banking on. AI-driven stocks took a hit, dragging the broader market down with them.
With volatility back in the spotlight, now is a great time to talk about a strategy that can help weather these ups and downs: dividend investing. While stock prices fluctuate, dividends provide a steady stream of income—helping investors stay grounded when markets get choppy.
The Case For Oil & Gas Investments
This comment originally appeared in the February 18, 2022 Weekly Update. I thought it would be easier to find if it was its own article. When I got back into investing in 2018, I thought I would never buy shares of an oil come as the green revolution was underway and I’m very optimistic about […]
The week ending February 18, 2022
When I got back into investing in 2018, I thought I would never buy shares of an oil come as the green revolution was underway and I’m very optimistic about renewable energy and electric vehicles. All I knew about oil companies was the price of oil had fallen from over USD$ 100 a barrel in […]