The S&P 500 index set another new record high today. Trading volume has exploded since the pandemic lockdowns and government handouts, and the explosion on volumes is being driven by retail investors. Note the rise in 2020, and then already in 2021, with only half the year in the books, volume is on pace to […]
China crackdown and rising $US hit commodities The prices of commodities were falling sharply on Thursday, cutting into months of gains and weighing on equity markets, as China takes steps to cool off rising prices and the U.S. dollar strengthens. The decline in commodities was widespread, with futures prices for palladium and platinum falling more than 11% and 7%, […]
The US Federal Reserve officials signaled that the pace of the U.S. economic recovery from the pandemic is bringing forward their expectations for how quickly they will reduce policy support. Chair Jerome Powell told a press conference Wednesday that officials had begun a discussion about scaling back bond purchases after releasing forecasts that show they […]
Non-Fungible Tokens (NFT’s) have been generating a lot of press lately, as there have been some very large buying and selling numbers bandied about, and some very well known names being associated with these digital assets. So what are they and how do they work? To understand NFT’s you must start with knowing what non-fungible […]
Stocks US stocks closed mixed and Treasury yields rose as minutes showed Federal Reserve officials were cautiously optimistic about the US recovery at their April meeting, with some signaling they’d be open ‘at some point’ to discussing scaling back the central bank’s massive bond purchases. The S&P 500 fell for a third day, and 10-year […]
Civil War in Israel? Read story People are panic buying houses as prices skyrocket around the world. Read story Fully vaccinated? You can ditch the mask, CDC says. Read story CN Rail is close to US$33B deal with K.C. Southern. Read story Greyhound Canada is permanently shutting down, ending almost a century of bus service. […]
For the past couple of months, we have been highlighting how we do not have confirmation from all markets as to what direction they are heading. In particular, we want to look at the different action in the Dow Jones Industrial Average (blue chip stocks), and the Nasdaq (tech stocks). The Dow is testing its […]
The markets had a lot to contend with today. Inflation in April accelerated at its fastest pace in more than 12 years as the US economic recovery kicked into gear and energy prices jumped higher, the Labor Department reported Wednesday. The Consumer Price Index, which measures a basket of goods as well as energy and […]
Investors spooked as consumer prices rise 4.2% in April. Read story Pipeline shutdown, panic-buying, force 1,000+ gas stations to run out of fuel. Read story Loonie hits highest level since 2015 amid commodity strength. Read story Line 5 shutdown will disrupt Canada’s energy security, Ottawa says, as Michigan threatens Enbridge if it defies order. Read […]
There are many uses for biometric security measures, using scanners that recognize a person’s fingerprints, thumbprints, and iris, for example. Hand-held wands and full body scanners are quite commonplace in airports, and other locations where security is important for detecting and mitigating risk. Most of us accept the need for this technology, even though it […]