MIDDLE EAST CONFLICT It’s funny how certain thoughts surface as impactful headlines break into the news cycle. When the U.S. partnered with Israel to attack Iran, I was reminded of a December 1971 article published in U.S. News & World Report. It was an...
March reinforced the market shift we discussed last month toward greater selectivity, but added a new variable as geopolitical tensions escalated following Operation Epic Fury.
This triggered a spike in oil prices, a shift lower in interest rate expectations, and a short-term increase in market volatility.
Markets pulled back as investors questioned whether this was the start of a broader sell-off or simply temporary volatility.
February 2026 Key Takeaways
The Starting Point
Markets entered January with three dominant assumptions: rate cuts were coming, AI would continue to lead, and safe-haven assets remained in favor.
January tested how durable those assumptions were when confronted with stronger economic data, shifting policy expectations, and crowded positioning.
Market Performance Snapshot
Canadian and U.S. markets finished 2025 with strong returns.
Early 2026 performance reflects a more mixed and selective environment.
Leadership is no longer broad-based, particularly within technology.
Rates: Expectations Were Repriced
We are excited to share an important management update! Effective immediately, Nathalia Junqui has been appointed Chief Financial Officer of the Croft Financial Group (CFG). Nathalia moves into this new role from her position as Group Controller, bringing...
Calling 2025 a “good year” for gold would be a considerable understatement. It was more a full‑blown victory parade. Up more than 60% year over year, cracking fifty all‑time new highs in the process, gold is more expensive (inflation‑adjusted) than at almost any...
Key Takeaways November 2025 Markets at New Highs, But Leadership Is Narrow North American equities hit new highs on cooler inflation and resilient Q3 earnings, but gains are increasingly concentrated in select sectors and mega-cap names. Day-to-day moves are being driven more by central bank messaging than the rate cuts themselves. Index Scorecard (YTD Snapshot) […]
Richard and Brian dive into Canadian Energy and what it means for investors today. They explore how oil, gas, and energy infrastructure are shaping market returns and in the follow-up episode, explore what’s driving sector rotation, how macroeconomic forces influence leadership shifts, and what these moves may be telling us about the market’s next phase.
In November, U.S. hyper-scalers saw their stocks sell off despite posting earnings that exceeded expectations. The downturn was largely attributed to investor unease over the massive capital outlays tied to A.I. data center expansion. Analysts are now asking the...
