Market View

According to Statistics Canada, inflation jumped to 2.4% in March, driven by the Iran war oil shock, and uncertainty over ceasefire talks has sent global fuel prices skyrocketing in recent weeks. In addition, Canada’s economy slowed toward the end of 2025 due to various factors such as trade tensions, manufacturing declines, and a weakening job market, which pulled growth lower, as real GDP declined slightly in the fourth quarter of 2025, falling 0.2 per cent. The Canadian dollar was 73.13 cents USD. The U.S. S&P 500 ended the week up 0.6%, while the TSX was down -1.1%.

It was a mixed week for the market. Energy led the way, rising 3.7%, while industrials and consumer discretionary gained 1.9% and 0.6%, respectively. Consumer staples also edged higher, up 0.2%. On the downside, materials fell sharply, down 6.2%, while information technology declined 3.5%. Real estate slipped 2.1%, and financials ended the week slightly lower, down 0.5%. The most heavily traded shares by volume were Royal Bank of Canada (RY), Canadian Natural Resources (CNQ), and Bank of Montreal (BMO).

5 from 5i

Here are five reads we found interesting last week:

• GE Vernova and Vertiv Are Giving Us a Glimpse Into the Future of the AI Boom, by Sherwood News.
• Google Is Doing Just Fine on AI, by Semafor.

• ServiceNow’s Woes Are Dragging the Entire Software Sector Down, by Sherwood News.

• Looking for an AI ETF? You Might Need an LLM for That, by Morningstar.

• Amazon to Invest Up to $25 Billion in Anthropic as Part of AI Infrastructure Push, by CNBC.

  
  

Happy Reading & Stay Safe!

Disclosure: The analyst(s) responsible for this report do not have a financial or other interest in securities mentioned.