Market View

The Bank of England held interest rates unchanged at 3.75 percent, while signaling reductions ahead due to weak economic growth and a rise in unemployment. On the other hand, the U.S. job openings dropped in December to 6.5 million, missing economists’ expectations of 7.25 million for the month, marking the lowest level since 2020 as the labor market remains sluggish. The Canadian dollar was 73.30 cents USD. The U.S. S&P 500 ended the week flat, while the TSX was up 1.3%.

It was a strong week for most sectors. Consumer staples led the market, jumping 8.1%, while consumer discretionary and industrials gained 5.4% and 2.8%, respectively. Energy and financials also moved higher, up 2.6% and 2.0%. Materials added 1.7%, and real estate edged up 0.8%. On the downside, information technology was the only sector to fall, declining 3.9%. The most heavily traded shares by volume were ARC Resources (ARX), Enbridge (ENB), and Celestica (CLS).

5 from 5i

Here are five reads we found interesting last week:

•  Housing Price Inflation, by Ben Carlson of A Wealth of Common Sense.
• Why I’m Not Worried About a Weaker Dollar, by Ben Carlson of A Wealth of Common Sense.
• Vanguard Cuts Fees on 53 Mutual Funds & ETFs in 2026, by Daniel Sotiroff of Morningstar.
• Is Inflation Higher Than We Think?, by Nick Maggiulli of Of Dollars and Data.
• Altcoins From Solana to Dogecoin Sink to Levels Not Seen in Years, by Sage D. Young Sherwood News.

Happy Reading & Stay Safe!

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