Market View

Annual inflation in Canada picked up more than expected to 2.4 percent in December, in-line with economists’ expectation. On the other hand, President Trump said he had a framework for a future deal with NATO on Greenland, and the U.S. won’t impose tariffs on February 1. The Canadian dollar was 72.64 cents USD. The U.S. S&P 500 ended the week down -0.6%, while the TSX was up 0.3%.

It was a mixed week of greens and reds. Materials led the market, surging 5.5%, while energy and consumer staples advanced 2.8% and 1.8%, respectively. Industrials posted a modest gain of 0.2%. On the downside, information technology retreated sharply, falling 5.3%. Real estate declined 2.1%, while financials and consumer discretionary slipped 1.4% and 1.0%, respectively. The most heavily traded shares by volume were Constellation Software (CSU), Bank of Montreal (BMO), and Royal Bank of Canada (RY).

5 from 5i

Here are five reads we found interesting last week:

• Why You Can’t Time the Market (Even When You Know the Future), by Nick Maggiulli of Of Dollars and Data
• The Best Bets for Investors Require a Strong Stomach, by Jeffrey Patk of Morningstar.
• Warren Buffett Was Never Just a Value Investor — Here’s the Real Secret to His Investing Success, by John Rekenthaler of Morningstar.
• How to Fix the Housing Market, by Ben Carlson of Ritholtz Wealth Management LLC

• More Americans Are Living Alone Than Ever Before, by Millie Giles of 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.