Markets enter May facing a more complex and less forgiving macro backdrop. The dominant near-term risk is the Middle East conflict and the resulting disruption to energy flows through the Strait of Hormuz.
Global markets face an increasingly volatile backdrop as the conflict between the U.S., Israel, and Iran has escalated into a full-scale regional war, disrupting global energy markets and rattling investor confidence.
Global markets entered 2026 with a complex backdrop: resilient but slowing economic growth, elevated policy uncertainty, and a meaningful shift in the relative performance of U.S. versus international equities.
2026 began with geopolitics related volatility, as the World Economic Forum brought world leaders together.
2025 was a very strong year for most investors: strong returns across stocks, solid performance in many asset classes, and plenty of headlines along the way.
Recent market performance has raised questions about whether certain areas, particularly AI-related stocks, may be experiencing heightened optimism.
The Bank of Canada and U.S. Federal Reserve both delivered rate cuts, but diverging tones and talk of artificial intelligence, are shaping investor sentiment.
On September 17, both the Bank of Canada and the U.S. Federal Reserve cut policy rates by 25 basis points, a move that came despite stock markets hovering near all-time highs. With Canada facing a shrinking GDP, falling exports, and cooling inflation
Jackson Hole Shifts the Fed’s Focus At this year’s Jackson Hole conference, Fed Chair Jay Powell surprised markets with a clear change in tone. After months of prioritizing inflation, the Fed may now be turning its attention to the labour market
U.S. Jobs Report Falls Short of Expectations The August 1st U.S. jobs report showed non-farm payrolls rising by just 73,000, well below the expected 110,000. Revisions to prior months further
Markets Hold Steady Amid Geopolitical Tensions and Uncertain Rate Cuts Despite a dramatic turn of events in the Middle East, marked by a U.S. strike on Iranian nuclear facilities, markets have shown surprising resilience. Oil prices dipped
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Read More: June 2026
Major AI companies continue to grow at an extraordinary pace.