On Wednesday June 5th, Bank of Canada Governor Tiff Macklem announced a policy rate reduction of 25 basis points to 4.75%, down from 5.00%. In the announcement, Macklem cited easing inflation (April 2024 CPI at 2.7% y/y), core inflation measures slowing, and lower-than-expected first quarter GDP growth. BoC’s three-month measures suggest continued downward momentum. Macklem… Read More
The You First Blog
Stock markets have provided healthy returns in the first five months of 2024, reaching new all-time highs led by U.S. and Japanese stocks. U.S. firms have delivered strong earnings, reflecting a resilient economy. Although positive for investors, the pace of these rallies and the rising valuations are cause for caution, and could lead to near-term… Read More
Over the past two years, investors have navigated through both the peaks and the troughs of financial markets. The notable double-digit decline in equities during 2022 was swiftly succeeded by a robust recovery in the concluding months of 2023. The final two months of 2023 saw a positive shift across asset classes, signaling broad market… Read More
The first half of 2023 was defined by contrasting themes. On the recessionary data side, we saw a slowdown in the manufacturing sector, coupled with tighter credit conditions following March’s banking turmoil. On the soft-landing side, the labour market remains strong, with unemployment rates hovering near all-time lows. Inflation has moderated only slightly, despite the… Read More
The promising start to 2023 continued for investors in April as stocks posted more gains, bond yields were stable, and inflation cooled again. However, concerns remain around the direction of central bank interest rates, the debt ceiling, and consumer spending. Here’s a summary of the main events that steered the markets. Markets are up since… Read More
The Liberal Government released the 2023 Federal Budget on Tuesday. Here are some of the highlights from the announced budget. Personal Tax Measures The Grocery Rebate The Goods and Services Tax Credit (GSTC) helps to offset the impact of the GST on low- and modest-income individuals and families. The GSTC is non-taxable, income-tested, and indexed… Read More