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In light of the recent market volatility following President Donald Trump's announcement of sweeping new tariffs last week, we want to provide clarity on what’s happening, how it may impact markets, and most importantly how your portfolio is positioned to weather this period of uncertainty. MARKET OVERVIEW Global markets have reacted sharply to the U.S. […]

The U.S. Federal Reserve held interest rates steady at 4.25% to 4.5% following its latest policy meeting, but officials signalled the possibility of two rate cuts later this year. The Fed revised its 2023 GDP growth forecast to 1.7%, from 2.1%, and raised its inflation projection to 2.7%, citing increased uncertainty driven partly by President […]

Trade tensions escalated midweek as the U.S. imposed a 25% tariff on steel and aluminium imports. In response, Canada implemented its own 25% tariffs on U.S. goods, while the European Union announced plans to impose countermeasures on $28 billion worth of American products next month, though negotiations remain possible.  U.S. stocks ended a turbulent week […]

Incoming German Chancellor Friedrich Merz backed a plan to invest over €1 trillion in defense and infrastructure, exempting defense from Germany’s strict debt limits. Initially opposed, Merz shifted his stance amid security concerns and NATO uncertainty. The announcement sent German 10-year bund yields up 30 basis points, the largest jump since 1990. Meanwhile, the EU […]

Global markets experienced heightened volatility, with the Nasdaq recording its steepest decline since September as technology stocks tumbled. The so-called "Magnificent Seven", particularly NVIDIA, suffered sharp losses, while trade tensions resurfaced as Donald Trump reaffirmed plans to impose new tariffs by March. The S&P 500 briefly erased its year-to-date gains before rebounding, as broader markets […]

After a strong start to 2025, February took a sharp turn as the world felt the full impact of Trump 2.0’s policy shift, with the announcement of tariffs targeting Canada, Mexico, and China on the very first day of the month. This sudden move stirred up global markets, causing a lot of uncertainty and sparking […]

The January Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) minutes highlighted the need for further progress on inflation before considering rate cuts, with trade and immigration policies cited as potential factors affecting the outlook. While policymakers expect inflation to move toward 2% over time, they acknowledged that the path may be uneven. The Fed is also considering […]

The three major U.S. indices ended the week in the green, as sentiment improved after investors got more certainty around President Donald Trump’s tariff plans, while new inflation data wound up being more constructive than first thought. For the week, the S&P 500 gained approximately 1.5%, the Dow advanced around 0.6%, and the Nasdaq surged […]

Major U.S. indexes fell this week, with the S&P 500 faring best, dropping just 0.24%. Stocks dropped sharply at the start of the week following President Trump’s Friday announcement of 25% tariffs on Mexico and Canada and 10% on Chinese imports. However, by Monday’s close, Trump delayed the Mexico and Canada tariffs for 30 days, […]

Political developments were a key focus this week following President Donald Trump’s inauguration on Monday. Trump ordered a review of U.S. trade policies, with plans to implement 25% tariffs on Canada and Mexico by February. His comments about preferring to avoid tariffs on China encouraged cautious optimism about a potential trade agreement, contributing to positive […]