As readers will no doubt be aware, our investment performance in the past year or two has been less than satisfactory. Accordingly, our board undertook a review of our managers and their performance. This process was not undertaken lightly as we have had a long-term relationship with Burgundy Asset Management, who, historically, have served us
Global equities advanced strongly during the quarter as easing geopolitical concerns, resilient earnings, and continued capital spending tied to artificial intelligence supported investor risk appetite. Market leadership was concentrated in technology, semiconductors, and related infrastructure companies, while emerging Asian markets with exposure to the semiconductor supply chain were notable contributors. Fixed income returns were more
A year ago, I wrote: “As we entered 2025, few people suspected the sheer volume of turbulence we have encountered since inauguration day in the United States.” Oh, the good old days. With another war in the mid-east this time, and daily changes on whether the Gulf of Hormuz will be open, we now have
Challenging Markets Read More »
The North American markets gained substantial ground in 2025 and technology companies, particularly those with significant involvement in artificial intelligence (AI), were the biggest beneficiaries of this upward swing. This focus, in turn, meant that many other organizations didn’t enjoy nearly the same returns. Value investors didn’t see the same kind of returns that growth
Driven by a reduction in the prime interest rate in both Canada and the U.S. as well the growth in the artificial intelligence (AI) sector, the markets in the 3rd quarter continued to hit record highs. This expansion has started to fuel talk of a bubble in the market and, in fact, valuations for many
Last quarter we wrote about the volatility in the markets in the early part of the year. While a little more subdued, that theme has continued in the second quarter and for most of the same reasons; tariffs, the continued concentration of power in the office of the President and the deficit spending in the
Continued Volatility Read More »
We started the year with the threat of a soft landing for the economy. Fortunately, that did not materialize, and the economy in fact posted stronger results than expected. For the time being, the threat of recession seems to have diminished. While interest rates have not yet come down as much as initially expected, the
Strong First Quarter Performance Read More »
A year ago, we were concerned about the impact of the war in the Ukraine. Both the geo-political and economic implications were potentially devastating. While that war continues unabated, the terrorist activity and ensuing conflict in Israel and Gaza have knocked most of the Ukraine news to the sidelines. Again, the global implications are very
Continuing Market Volatility Read More »
We recently saw an announcement which might be of benefit to your organization. In case you missed it, The Government of Canada has committed the Government of Canada committed $15 million ($4 million in Ontario alone) to help support the safe reopening of arts, culture, heritage, and sport sectors through the “Making Cultural Spaces Safe During COVID-19
Making Cultural Spaces Safe During COVID-19 Read More »
For so many of us, the past 18 months has included great hardship. The stress of imperfect information, the rollercoaster ride of the pandemic waves, the inability to spend in person time with friends and family and, for many, severe financial hardship. Just as we seem to be getting past the worst of it and we
Light at the End of the Tunnel Read More »
