The Living Market Podcast

In a world of constant political and market uncertainty, IG Wealth Management’s Chief Investment Strategist, Philip Petursson, revisits the rules he developed during the global financial crisis to help investors navigate today’s volatile environment. From vanquishing fear and panic to understanding the economic landscape and keeping a long-term perspective, Philip provides practical advice to stay resilient and capitalize on opportunities. Join us as we explore how to survive a Trump attack and maintain a level head in the market.

The markets are up probably more than anyone expected so far this year, says Ashish Utarid, IG Wealth Management’s Assistant Vice-President, Investment Strategy. In spite of ongoing threats of trade tariffs, AI and growth stocks continue to perform well, and even last year’s worst-performing stocks are bouncing back. Ashish covers the three main reasons behind the markets’ current momentum and discusses how long we can expect to see it continue. 

Gold has performed really well in recent years, says IG Wealth Management’s Chief Investment Strategist, Philip Petursson. Over the last one, three and five years, it has outperformed the S&P 500 Index. With gold once more making waves, Philip examines how gold is valued (including why it’s currently worth way more than its extraction costs), the history behind gold’s correlation with the U.S. dollar and how it acts as a safe haven, especially when political change leads to economic and market uncertainty.

There’s been a lot of noise around trade announcements, says IG Wealth Management’s Chief Investment Strategist, Philip Petursson, and it’s easy to assume the worst. However, Philip explains how trade tensions are nothing new and that this uncertainty can bring opportunities for Canada. He discusses the likelihood of tariffs being imposed on Canada, how tariffs on China could benefit Canadian exports and why potential tariffs on Europe could be a boost for Canadian-made cars.

In this special edition of the podcast, IG Wealth Management’s Chief Investment Strategist, Philip Petursson is joined by Aurèle Courcelles, Vice-President, Tax and Estate Planning at IG, as they discuss the essentials of retirement income. Aurèle explains how it’s important to plan your retirement paycheque in advance and how to work out how much it should be, depending on the kind of retirement you want. He also outlines all the potential sources of retirement income, and how to minimize your retirement tax bill and government clawbacks.

Investors can get caught up in politics, says IG Wealth Management’s Chief Investment Strategist, Philip Petursson, but it’s far more important to focus on current market and economic fundamentals. He gives a breakdown of three key economic truths; a solid U.S. economy, with low unemployment and encouraging growth expectations; forecasts for improved corporate earnings and greater manufacturing; and a realistic investor sentiment that is avoiding over-confidence.

There’s a big divide within the investing community as to what value investing is and whether it’s relevant, says IG Wealth Management’s Chief Investment Strategist, Philip Petursson. However, Philip believes that valuation always matters, it just needs redefining. He explains what value investing is, why it’s underperformed recently and which metrics to use to discover value stocks with real potential.  

To begin the new year, IG Wealth Management’s Chief Investment Strategist, Philip Petursson decides to deviate from his usual balanced approach and go all out with his wildest and most fearless predictions for 2025. Philip offers five possible scenarios, including a Chinese equities renaissance, a boom in mergers and acquisitions, a culling of profitless tech companies and the energy consequences of a continuing surge in AI investment.

The Canadian dollar was struggling even before this week’s political turmoil, says IG Wealth Management’s Chief Investment Strategist, Philip Petursson. A soft economy and the difference in monetary policy between Canada and the U.S. had already pushed the loonie down toward US$0.70. The uncertainty following Chrystia Freeland’s resignation means the loonie is likely to lose even more value. Philip discusses the potential market beneficiaries of such a weakened loonie.

There are several risks we should expect to come across in the new year, says IG Wealth Management’s Chief Investment Strategist, Philip Petursson. These include central bank rate cuts (or the lack of them), high valuations, extreme consumer optimism, ongoing geopolitical risks and highly concentrated equities. Philip offers advice on how to protect your portfolio from the volatility that some of these risks could cause, while also taking advantage of the opportunities that they could bring.