The Living Market Podcast

After the first rate cut, what’s next?

This week, the Bank of Canada finally announced a cut in its key interest rate (by a quarter of a percentage point) to 4.75%. IG Wealth Management’s Chief Investment Strategist, Philip Petursson says that, while this is a good start, it will take more than one small rate cut to make any significant difference to the economy. He explores what still needs to be done, what we can expect in the coming months and what this will mean for the loonie.

How passive investing causes overvaluations

Value strategies are key to active investment management, says IG Wealth Management’s Chief Investment Strategist, Philip Petursson. They require analyzing a company’s financial information, assessing future growth potential and coming up with a value based on its capitalization rate (its net operating income divided by its current market value). However, passive investing, in the form of ETFs, simply buys company shares based on the company’s value relative to the overall market. Philip explains how this is causing overvalued companies to become even more overvalued.

How copper and the economy are entwined

Copper has an intriguing ability to predict the economy’s health, says IG Wealth Management’s Ashish Utarid, Assistant Vice-President, Investment Strategy. Thanks to its widespread use in many manufacturing activities, an increase in demand for copper often signals a growing economy. Conversely, a slowing economy usually leads to lower copper prices. Ashish explains the reasons behind copper’s recent 20% growth, and what that means for the economy in general.

Spring clean your financial plan

With taxes now filed and RRSP contributions made, May is the ideal time to revisit and refresh your financial plan, says IG Wealth Management’s Chief Investment Strategist, Philip Petursson. In this special edition of the podcast, Philip and his special guest, IG’s Aurèle Courcelles, Assistant Vice-President, Tax and Estate Planning, discuss what investors should be focusing on right now. They talk about the possible implications of the recent budget’s capital gains tax, how to improve your estate planning and ways to modify your portfolio and its asset allocation, given the current market opportunities.

How U.S. elections impact the markets

The markets are often affected by seasonal factors that are understandable and predictable, says IG Wealth Management’s Chief Investment Strategist, Philip Petursson. Retail activity is always strong in December, and there’s typically far more travel over the summer months. A similarly predictable but less understood market phenomenon, however, is the way that U.S. equity markets perform in the summer leading up to a U.S. presidential election. Philip explains why you might not want to sell during these months.

Will early rate cuts boost inflation?

Both Wall Street and the White House are keen to see interest rate cuts this year, at the very least before the November election, says IG Wealth Management’s Chief Investment Strategist, Philip Petursson. Recent weak consumer spending might force the U.S. Federal Reserve’s (the Fed) hand, leading to rate cuts sooner rather than later. However, as Philip explains, while earlier rate cuts could be good news for the markets, they could bring about higher inflation. And is the Fed willing to risk that?

Is optimism a cause for concern?

Contrarian indicators can often play a crucial role in forecasting market trends, says IG Wealth Management’s Chief Investment Strategist, Philip Petursson. Last year, during peak economic pessimism, markets anticipated up to six interest rate cuts for this year, and those forecasts bolstered the markets. Now that we’re in a period of greater economic optimism, will that have a negative impact on the markets?

Are we looking at higher oil prices into the summer?

This summer, the price of crude oil could reach its highest level in almost two years, says IG Wealth Management’s Chief Investment Strategist, Philip Petursson. While this could be good for Canadian equities (which typically benefit from rising oil prices), it could have a negative effect on the markets in general. Philip explains how expensive oil drives up inflation, which could delay central bank interest rate cuts, which in turn could cause a drop in bond and equity markets.

This rally still has legs

In the first quarter of 2024 alone, the S&P 500 Index (containing the biggest U.S. companies) had 24 all-time highs. While some economic commentators believe that this rally is due a correction, simply because of the pace of its growth, IG Wealth Management’s Chief Investment Strategist, Philip Petursson says don’t believe the hype. While volatility may pop up again, history and current economic data suggest that this rally still has legs.

Equities are on the up, almost everywhere

In the first quarter of the year the economic landscape in Canada wasn't particularly stirring, says IG Wealth Management’s Chief Investment Strategist, Philip Petursson. He says, however, that equity markets pretty much everywhere are booming. This week Philip takes a closer look and highlights market action over the past three months.