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Tag: iag

Weekly Update for the week ending July 3, 2026

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AI Spending: When Hype Meets Reality

AI stocks have been back in focus, but not for the reasons that drove their earlier surge. After pushing to fresh highs, parts of the sector have started to cool as investors take a closer look at what’s actually fuelling the rally beneath the surface. The story is shifting from pure excitement around artificial intelligence to something more grounded – the rising cost of building it.

What was once framed as a software-driven revolution is increasingly looking like an infrastructure buildout, with massive spending going into chips, data centres, networking, and energy systems. That shift is starting to raise new questions about funding, profitability, and how long this level of investment can realistically continue without more pressure on balance sheets.

This week I discuss what’s driving the latest move in AI-linked stocks, why spending has become the central theme, and how that ripple effect is starting to show up across the broader market.

Weekly Update for the week ending June 26, 2026

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Canada’s Missing SPR

Last week we looked at America’s Strategic Petroleum Reserve and why it matters for oil prices, inflation, and financial markets. This week, we turn to Canada – where no such reserve exists. Instead of a government-controlled buffer that can be released during supply shocks, Canada relies on a very different system shaped by domestic production, commercial inventories, and private market forces. The result is an approach to energy security that looks quite different from what many investors might expect, with important implications for how supply disruptions are absorbed.

Weekly Update for the week ending June 19, 2026

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America’s Emergency Oil Tank

The ceasefire between Israel and Iran reduced the immediate threat to global oil supplies, but it also underscored a quieter issue. After years of emergency releases, including during the recent US-Iran conflict, America’s Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) now sits at its lowest level in more than 40 years. While most investors rarely think about the SPR, its size can influence oil prices, inflation expectations, and the market’s ability to weather future supply shocks.

Monthly Portfolio Update November 2025

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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 7, 2025

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The Budget Is Here – Now What for Long-Term Investors?
This week, the Canadian government released its latest federal budget – essentially Ottawa’s financial game plan for the year ahead. Budgets can feel like giant spreadsheets, but at their core they show what the government wants to prioritize and where the money is going. This one focuses on boosting affordability (especially housing), supporting economic growth, and continuing to invest in clean energy and infrastructure. In the words of Daenerys Targaryen, “Let’s begin.” 😊

Monthly Portfolio Update October 2025

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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.