Since the landslide victory of Donald J Trump, the stock market has surged to record highs propelled by animal spirits. To understand animal spirits, imagine the stock market as a jungle….

First a caveat. As a proud Canadian, I have no skin in this game. Whatever one thinks about Donald Trump, does not change the fact he will be leading the US government for at least the next four years.

Since the lows of last November, North American financial markets have come alive like a phoenix rising from the ashes. The welcomed 50 bp rate cut by the Fed was really a cherry on top of the sundae. The real story is the marked change in the tone of Fed Speak.

If it were not enough that investors are digesting less than stellar second quarter earnings, they are also dealing with the mixed seasonal patterns unique to August. August tends to be a mediocre month for stocks, with no strong directional bias.

When we think about value stocks, we think low price to earnings multiples and above average dividends. It makes value stocks ideal candidates for retirees seeking regular income with limited downside variability.

COVERED CALLS: A CLOSER LOOK AT THE STRATEGY’S HIDDEN COMPLEXITIES Picture this, while sitting in your kitchen contemplating the meaning of life or at least, the performance of your portfolio, you read an article questioning the value of writing covered calls....

Are we in the early stages of a 1990’s style global expansion? At a minimum, the performance of US stocks tells us that the American Dream is alive and well.

Richard Croft, CIO discusses Zero Date to Expiration options, interest rates, yield shares and the value of Canadian banks for income focused investors…

The US economy appears to be on a path towards a soft landing, defying initial concerns of a downturn due to rate hikes. This stability, driven by strong consumer spending, a robust labor market, and fiscal stimulus, allowed the Federal Reserve to pause its rate hikes.

THE FED PIVOT Mark December 13th, 2023, on the calendar. This was the day US Federal Reserve (Fed) Chairman Jerome Powell gave the financial markets an early Christmas present… the long-awaited Fed pivot. The impact of this subtle change in Fed policy was...