While no one can know for certain if inflation is coming bank, David Zanutto, senior investment consultant at Mercer, says that the risks of inflation moving higher have increased. He points particularly to low levels of unemployment, which could translate to wage growth and higher inflation. Other factors that could lead to higher inflation include […]
Uncertainty on how U.S. and Chinese policies will affect trade, Italy’s budget standoff with the European Commission, worry over Brexit and the U.S. Federal Reserve’s monetary policy all imply volatility for the coming year, according to Russell Investment Canada Ltd.’s 2019 market outlook. The firm is remaining neutral on equities and underweight U.S. stock, though it’s maintaining a more […]
Household debt and high housing prices are complicating an otherwise fairly rosy picture of the Canadian economy, said Stephen Poloz, governor of the Bank of Canada, in a speech hosted by the CFA Society Toronto on Thursday. The bank’s most recent rate decision, which took place on Wednesday, maintained the current rate of 1.75 per cent. […]
While many investors expect the U.S. bull market to end in 2019, some institutional investors are planning changes to their allocation strategy or return assumptions, according to a new survey by Natixis Investment Managers. The survey found about two-thirds of institutional investors expect the U.S. bull market to end in 2019, while 70 per cent […]
The challenging questions for institutional investors going into the last months of 2018 will be how much further global trade tensions will rise and the subsequent impact on economic growth, company profits and inflation, according to Russell Investments latest market outlook. As well, further action on the part of the U.S. Federal Reserve will be a […]
Last year, I wrote about emerging market equities and whether their time had finally come. Should investors be considering an allocation to the asset class, which theoretically offers the promise of higher returns driven off demographic trends? I think it’s a worthwhile topic to revisit, while also providing an overview of investor behaviour since that time. As […]
Canada rose two spots to No. 9 among 43 countries in Natixis Investment Managers’ 2018 global retirement index. The modest rise in Canada’s ranking is attributed to improving economic conditions and environmental factors, according to the report, which also points to several factors — low interest rates, growing levels of public debt, aging populations and […]
The Bank of Canada is set to announce a decision on the target for its overnight rate on Wednesday. Widely expected to be a 25 basis point increase, in line with the hawkish tone of the bank’s latest policy notice, the decision comes amid a backdrop of market and trade volatility. However, Canada’s economy is […]
How would an interest rate boost affect pension plans?