Skip to main content

Tag: vrt

Weekly Update for the week ending August 7, 2026

Posted on by

The AI Revolution: Understanding the Technology Behind the Investment Boom

Artificial intelligence (AI) may seem like software running in the cloud, but behind every AI-generated response is a vast physical infrastructure. From Nvidia’s powerful AI chips to advanced memory, high-speed networking, massive data centres, and enormous amounts of electricity, today’s AI systems depend on some of the most sophisticated technology ever built.

In Part 3 of The AI Revolution: Understanding the Technology Behind the Investment Boom, we explore the infrastructure that makes AI possible and explain why companies across multiple industries—not just technology firms—are benefiting from the AI revolution.

Weekly Update for the week ending July 31, 2026

Posted on by

The AI Revolution: Understanding the Technology Behind the Investment Boom?

Artificial intelligence (AI) may seem almost magical, but behind every AI-generated response is a complex learning process. After exploring what AI is in Part 1 of The AI Revolution: Understanding the Technology Behind the Investment Boom, we now look at how AI actually learns.

In Part 2, we explain what training data is, how AI models are created, why building them requires enormous computing power, and the difference between training an AI model and using one. Understanding this process helps explain why companies are investing billions of dollars in the technology and infrastructure behind the AI revolution.

Monthly Portfolio Update June 2026

Posted on by

June was a reminder that markets don’t always move on a single headline. Geopolitical tensions, soaring oil prices, renewed inflation concerns, and shifting interest rate expectations combined to reshape market leadership. While the DJIA and TSX continued to climb, the S&P 500 and Nasdaq stumbled as investors reassessed high-growth technology stocks. In this month’s review, we look at the forces that shaped the markets and see how my three portfolios performed along the way.

Weekly Update for the week ending June 26, 2026

Posted on by

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

Posted on by

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 May 2026

Posted on by

Historically, May through October is a weaker period for markets, averaging gains of around 2% compared to roughly 7% from November through April. However, May got off to a strong start as the S&P 500 (S&P) and Nasdaq Composite (Nasdaq) both reached record highs in the opening week. While the rest of the month wasn’t a straight shot higher, the rally continued. The S&P broke above 7,500 for the first time, the tech-heavy Nasdaq crossed both the 25,000 and 26,000 milestones, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) climbed above 50,000 before ending May with its first-ever close above 51,000.