In the end, the mighty bull was slayed by a tiny virus. The longest bull market in U.S. history can now be said to have lasted almost 11 years and rewarded investors with a return of 529 per cent based on the performance of the S&P 500, including dividends. The bull officially ran from March […]
The phase one trade deal between the U.S. and China was presented by the Trump administration as an “historic and enforceable” agreement that “begins rebalancing the U.S.‑China trade relationship.” While the pact makes incremental progress on issues like purchases of U.S. exports and market access, it more likely signals a détente, suggesting that trade tensions […]
In a surprise move, the Federal Reserve cut its benchmark interest rate by a sizeable half-percentage point Tuesday in an effort to support the economy in the face of the spreading coronavirus. Chairman Jerome Powell said at a news conference that the virus “will surely weigh on economic activity both here and abroad for some […]
The fast-moving coronavirus isn’t just confounding health officials. It’s also bedevilling policymakers and central bankers who are struggling to assess the economic damage from an outbreak that’s reached 37 countries and territories, infected 80,000 people and killed 2,700 worldwide. They don’t know where or how fast the virus will spread. They can’t draw on clear […]
The virus outbreak in China has put South Korea’s economy into an “emergency situation,” its president says. Japan is on the brink of recession and big manufacturers are forecasting a whole world of woe. As many Chinese finally go back to work after their longest Lunar New Year holiday ever, the economic fallout from the […]
North American stock markets marched to record highs Thursday on dissipating virus risks and China saying it would cut tariffs on U.S. imports in half. After two risk-on days, investors have sunk more money into defensive sectors such as telecommunications, consumer staples, real estate investment trusts, gold and utilities in both Canada and the U.S. […]
The recent publication of the U.S.-China trade deal and the final macroeconomic numbers for 2019 should set the stage for healthy economic performance and stronger market sentiment in China in 2020. But the risk of a return to tense relations between Washington and Beijing looms over 2021 and beyond. President Donald Trump appears to believe […]
China’s markets are reeling from the economic ramifications of the coronavirus. With more foreign institutional investor capital allocated to the region than ever before, investors can do little else but wait to see whether the outbreak will merely cause a blip on their trading screens or if the virus will continue to spread. On Monday […]
The Shanghai Composite index tumbled nearly eight per cent on Monday as Chinese regulators moved to stabilize markets jolted by a virus that has spread to more than 20 countries, slamming regional tourism and threatening global growth. The outbreak of the virus in China has prompted governments around the world to step up surveillance and […]
Just as the outlook for the global economy had been brightening in recent months, a new threat has suddenly emerged in the form of the viral outbreak in China. That was the cautionary message that Chairman Jerome Powell delivered Wednesday after the Federal Reserve held interest rates low after its latest policy meeting. Speaking at […]