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Weekly Update for the week ending July 24, 2026

Part 1: What Is Artificial Intelligence?

Artificial intelligence (AI) has become one of the biggest investment themes of the decade. Technology companies 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. But what exactly is artificial intelligence, and why has it become so important?

In Part 1 of The AI Revolution: Understanding the Technology Behind the Investment Boom, we explore what AI is, how it differs from human intelligence, and why today’s AI doesn’t actually think like people do. Understanding the basics is the first step toward understanding why companies are investing so heavily in this transformative technology.

Weekly Update for the week ending July 17, 2026

Why Interest Rates Impact Some Stocks More Than Others
After better-than-expected inflation reports helped push markets higher, technology stocks led the charge while more defensive sectors lagged. The difference comes down to a key investing concept: some stocks are far more sensitive to changes in interest rate expectations than others.

In this week’s update, I explain why growth stocks like Nvidia often react differently than dividend-paying companies like utilities, and how Fed policy influences investor behaviour.

Weekly Update for the week ending July 10, 2026

SK hynix: The Memory Powering the AI Revolution

When most investors think about artificial intelligence, companies like Nvidia and Microsoft usually steal the spotlight. But every AI breakthrough depends on an entire ecosystem working behind the scenes. One of the biggest beneficiaries is SK hynix, the South Korean semiconductor company that has become a global leader in the ultra-fast memory powering today’s AI servers.

With SK hynix now trading on Nasdaq under the ticker SKHY, this week’s commentary takes a closer look at what the company does, why demand for its products has surged, and why its record-breaking U.S. listing could put it on more investors’ radar.

Weekly Update for the week ending July 3, 2026

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

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

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.