Lily Molargik

In August the markets stayed away from the back-to-school blues and ended the final full month of summer on a positive note. The month was generally positive even though there were still some geopolitical uncertainties and a mixed economic situation. Although job growth in the labour market declined, the unemployment rate fell very slightly, inflation decreased but was still fairly high, and corporate profits stayed strong, registering the highest growth rate since Q2 2021, which in turn...

July brought unexpected challenges for the markets, disrupting any hopes for a quiet summer. Investors faced a mixed bag of signals, with ongoing geopolitical uncertainty and inconsistent economic data keeping sentiment in check. The labor market added fewer jobs than expected, though the unemployment rate ticked lower. Inflation came in below expectations but remained somewhat elevated, with higher oil prices continuing to put pressure. Altogether, the data gave investors plenty to digest,...

Just like that, we’re already halfway through the year. As the saying goes… time flies when there's a fresh geopolitical headline every morning. It was a mixed month for markets as economic data continued to send conflicting signals. The labor market added more jobs than expected, offering a bright spot. However, inflation ticked higher for a third straight month, reaching its highest level since April 2023. Consumer sentiment saw a slight rebound from its record low as gas prices moderated,...