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Portfolio Commentary – December 2025
December capped off a year marked by aggressive AI investment, resilient valuations, and strong earnings that continued to offset broader economic headwinds.
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December 2021 Commentary & Performance Review
Equity markets showed strength in December, including the S&P 500 which saw returns of 4.36% as hospitalizations from the COVID‐19 Omicron variant appeared to be fewer than expected.
November 2021 Commentary & Performance Review
Equity markets were on track to close another month at all‐time highs before the Omicron variant spooked investors and applied downward pressure in the last week of November. Should Omicron prove to be more transmissible and resilient…
October 2021 Commentary & Performance Review
In this month’s commentary, we discuss North American equity markets back to all-time highs, PayPal backing away from a Pinterest acquisition, The world’s (new) most valuable company and more…
September 2021 Commentary & Performance Review
Nearly all financial assets traded down during the month, outside of energy‐related equities and commodities. A slowing Chinese economy, potential U.S. domestic policy errors, and stagflation fears dominated headlines…
August 2021 Commentary & Performance Review
Global risk appetite improved, with stock markets rising while commodity and fixed income markets declined. Although the Delta variant is slowing the reopening in some regions, companies continued to raise…
July 2021 Commentary & Performance Review
Jeff Bezos, who founded Amazon in 1994 as an online bookstore, has left the position of CEO after amassing a nearly $200 billion fortune. Bezos will continue to serve on the board of directors while also…
A Tale of Two Markets
Bond markets and stock markets usually move opposite to each other, hence their diversification benefits. Today, they appear to be indicating the same thing by moving strongly upward together. One of them must be wrong. Historically, the smart money is the bond market viewpoint. Yet today, central banks are distorting true risk and value by their market operations. The bond market is likely saying that recession is coming. This leads us to continue our shifts to a more defensive portfolio posture.
iA Financial Group Completes the Acquisition of HollisWealth from Scotiabank
QUEBEC CITY, Aug. 8, 2017 /CNW Telbec/ - Industrial Alliance Insurance and Financial Services Inc. ("Industrial Alliance" or "iA Financial Group") (TSX: IAG) and The Bank of Nova Scotia ("Scotiabank") (TSX: BNS) (NYSE: BNS) today announced that Industrial Alliance has...
Updates on IA Securities Acquiring HollisWealth
In a previous communication, we confirmed the ownership of HollisWealth will change from Scotia Capital to IA Securities (owned by Industrial Alliance) in the 3rd quarter of 2017. We anticipate this as a positive transition as we will continue to benefit from the...
Basic Ontario Budget Summary
Below is a brief summary of the Ontario budget from April 27, 2017. You can download a full review from Scotiabank here. Children’s Prescription Medication: All children and youth aged 24 and under, regardless of family income, get free prescription medication...
Canadian Banks: We Love ‘Em & We Hate ‘Em
From the desk of Erin Gendron... You probably haven’t been able to avoid seeing the negative media attention (and resulting share volatility) the Big 5 Banks have been receiving over the past month. We’ve certainly taken note. The attention on the banks is due to...
Offering Professional In-House Tax Preparation Services
We are pleased to offer you the services of our in-house Tax Specialist. Robert Westgarth is an accountant and tax consultant, and has years of experience with tax preparation. We will continue to facilitate the tax preparation services of Steve Ernst (Converge...
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What Does Retirement Mean for You?
Planning for retirement isn’t a one-time exercise you can do in one meeting. It will be an ongoing process that will involve a lot of thinking and modifying your plans as you age and your situation changes.
Get Good Advice About Tax and Estate Planning
It’s crucial to recognize that the quality of advice you receive in Tax and Estate Planning can significantly impact your family’s wealth. Exceptional advice can lead to positive outcomes, while anything less can prove costly.
Understanding Your Current and Future Liabilities
The concept of “debt” (in any form) has a bad connotation for some people. While we would never advocate taking on debt imprudently, there are some situations in which borrowing money is in the best interest of your family’s wealth.
The Future of Energy – June 2023 Review
In the June 2023 commentary, we discuss Ontario’s nuclear energy development; China’s activity in liquid natural gas markets; Canadian consumer and the labour market; As we do each month, we highlight the top and bottom performing assets in our portfolios.
What are non-financial assets?
The world of non-financial assets demands careful navigation. Buying or selling such assets often involves intricate processes, specialized knowledge, and potentially significant transaction costs.
AI Leading the Way – May 2023 Review
Traders are beginning to express skepticism about the sustainability of the stock rally year-to-date and are issuing warnings about a potential market downturn later in the year. Despite optimism surrounding a US debt-ceiling…