Last week, both the Bank of Canada and the U.S. Federal Reserve cut their benchmark interest rates by a quarter percentage point. Though we’re two separate countries, both central banks are contending with challenges that monetary policy alone cannot fix. In Canada, Bank of Canada Governor Tiff Macklem emphasized that the 25-basis-point cut, which brings […]
For clients who didn’t already own it, we added Nvidia (NVDA) to suitable portfolios back in April, during the market sell-off triggered by tariff worries. We purchased the Canadian Depositary Receipt to avoid currency swings, but for context, U.S. shares traded roughly between $102 and $105 on April 23—the day of our purchase. Today, NVDA […]
President Donald Trump is once again floating the idea of cutting the number of corporate earnings reports in half — from four to two per year. The proposal, first raised during his presidency in 2018, would have U.S. public companies report every six months instead of quarterly. While it may sound like a way to […]
I have trouble keeping up with the reasons why Bitcoin moves in either direction. It seemed correlated with the Nasdaq coming out of the pandemic; then was compared to “digital gold”; and recently it was a hedge against government mismanagement. Its bull case seems to change each day and I’m not embarrassed to say that […]
It’s not often that a stock jumps almost 7% in a single day because of an analyst upgrade. Nevertheless, that’s what happened on October 1 when Desjardins published a note about Algonquin Power & Utilities (“AQN”). “We are upgrading AQN to ‘Buy’ from ‘Hold,’ largely due to compelling valuation following recent weakness, strong management, and […]
Much like the Internet changed the world, so too will artificial intelligence. But with stock prices on fire lately, many are asking if we’re in a bubble that is ready to burst. When people foresee a bubble, anyone that owns stocks is wise to listen up. Federal Reserve Chair Alan Greenspan famously warned about “irrational […]
Last spring, shares of UnitedHealth Group (UNH) lost over half their value. The stock even dropped 18% on May 13, its worst single-day plunge since September 2008. With over 50 million people enrolled, UNH is the largest health insurance provider in the United States. Because customers have used their medical benefits at twice the expected […]
Last month, at a Rotary Club meeting, I found myself sitting next to someone I hadn’t met before. After asking about my profession, he leaned in a few minutes later and said, “Is it true that to get rich, you should only buy Canadian banks?” Well, I know of at least one person who rode […]
To my surprise, Maple Leaf Foods (“MFI”) has been our strongest performer this year, up nearly 80%. On February 26, 2024, we started buying MFI for clients at $22.82. At the time, the stock was about as unpopular with investors as I was with the ladies in high school. Just two trading days earlier, a […]
September has historically been a weak month for stocks, and this year’s sentiment will hinge on Jay Powell’s speech tomorrow at Jackson Hole Students aren’t the only ones uneasy about September—stocks often dread it too. Historically, it’s the worst month for the market. Since 1930, the S&P 500 has fallen about 55% of the time […]
Mutual funds are marketed as safe and simple. But in reality, they often accompany hidden costs and conflicts of interest. We recently reviewed a portfolio managed by another institution. The Management Expense Ratio (“MER”), which is the total cost of owning a mutual fund and is embedded in its price, was much higher than its […]
Anyone who lived through 2008 (or studied the 1930s) knows how frightening banking crises can be. The financial system runs on confidence, and once that’s shaken, restoring trust can take significant time. In 2023, the U.S. regional banking sector faced its own crisis. It started in March with the abrupt collapse of Silicon Valley Bank […]
Someone once said that if Al Capone had turned his talents toward legitimate enterprise, he could have been the CEO of General Motors. Today’s fraudsters are no different—highly organized, intelligent, and using sophisticated tools. Unfortunately, they’re applying those skills to deception, not innovation. My Close Call Recently, I received a phone call that appeared to […]
Did you know that a staggering 90% of inherited wealth is gone by the third generation? A friend recently shared that he had inherited $500,000 just before the pandemic. His mother never spoke to him about money and he was surprised there was an estate to divide. Unfortunately, because he was so unprepared, the money […]
Each month, we select a handful of questions that were asked by clients or soon-to-be clients. We like to post our answers online because others may have that same question as well. Here are a few of the things we were asked about most recently. Please contact us at info@schneiderpollock.com. How do I log in […]
