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Monday morning briefing: A look back at Q1 GDP

Increased tensions between the U.S. and China might impact global trade activity and financial markets. Economic reopening efforts continue across the U.S. and Canada. Investors are closely monitoring economic results to see if the worst is behind us. The “Big Six” Canadian banks put aside a total of $10.9 billion for credit loss provisions, given […]

June 1, 2020

Monday morning briefing: This would make Sam Walton proud

Perhaps a sign of the new normal, Shopify Inc. announced its employees will work from home permanently. This is not specific to the tech industry, however. Many major banks across the U.S. and Canada have announced they are considering how, when and where their employees will be working in the post-pandemic world. Economic/industry news Canadian […]

May 25, 2020

Tuesday morning briefing: Retail sales way down in the U.S.

Some investing heavyweights recently sounded the alarm on equities. Stanley Druckenmiller believes the risk-reward tradeoff for equities is not attractive, while David Tepper thinks the market is overvalued. U.S.-China tensions appear to be growing as the U.S. Commerce Department looked to put restrictions on Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd. Meanwhile, the U.S. Federal Reserve Board and […]

May 19, 2020

COVID-19 is changing financial services marketing. Are you ready?

COVID-19 has led to widespread business shutdowns in the hope of containing the spread of the virus. This has, in turn, resulted in a severe global economic disruption and financial market volatility. It’s safe to say that most investors are facing financial stresses to some degree right now. And the way they interact with their […]

May 12, 2020

Monday morning briefing: GDP down … but is it out?

In the U.S., federal and state governments are planning to ease restrictions and allow some businesses to reopen. In Canada, various provinces have already started to reopen as well. These provinces have taken small steps and are demanding reopened businesses maintain proper health and safety measures. Germany, Italy and France, among other European nations, are […]

May 11, 2020

Monday morning briefing: Markets rise while economies struggle

Potential COVID-19 drug showed positive results. The keys to running a successful remote meeting. Could M&A be banned during the pandemic? And much more in this week’s briefing. Economic/industry news U.S. economic expansion ends: US GDP shrank 4.8% in the first quarter amid biggest contraction since the financial crisis Europe’s GDP contracts: Europe’s economy just […]

May 4, 2020

Monday morning briefing: Will Shopify rise above them all?

Leading your business out of the COVID-19 crisis. Helping businesses calculate the wage subsidy. The environment has benefited from widespread business shutdowns. And much more in this week’s briefing. Economic/industry news Canada’s inflation rate falls to 0.9%: Inflation in Canada slows to lowest since 2015 on oil glut Could COVID-19 change capitalism?: Leon Cooperman says […]

April 27, 2020

Monday morning briefing: Tech stocks that shine during COVID-19 crisis

Thank you for reading Monday Morning Briefing. For this edition, and going forward, we have decided to change the format of the briefing to provide you with relevant information you will need to weather the new realities we face today – and the challenges that will likely continue over the coming months. As small business […]

April 20, 2020

Monday morning briefing: Labour market faces challenges

International securities regulators focused on COVID-19. Many executives planning acquisitions in the next year. Handling client data with care. And much more in this week’s briefing. Economic/industry news Canada loses 1 million jobs: Canada sheds record 1.01 million jobs in March The impact of short-term losses on long-term value: So how much wealth destruction has truly occurred […]

April 13, 2020

Monday afternoon briefing: Services sink

We may not see a v-shaped recovery. Why PE firms may be looking at publicly listed companies. How COVID-19 may change banking. And much more in this week’s briefing. Economic/industry news Canada’s economy grew 0.1% in January: Economic growth slowed in January to 0.1%, Statistics Canada says U.S. unemployment rate rises to 4.4%: US payrolls plunge 701,000 […]

April 6, 2020

Monday morning briefing: Jobless claims go vertical

Providing help to small businesses. Protecting cryptocurrencies from theft. PE firms facing uncertainty between helping portfolio firms and making acquisitions. And much more in this week’s briefing. Economic/industry news The BoC makes another emergency rate cut: Bank of Canada cuts key rate to 0.25% as virus, oil fallout deepens Canadian government’s stimulus plan becomes law: Federal bill with more than $100B […]

March 30, 2020

Monday morning briefing: A lost decade?

Spotlight on fintech as more people stay home. ESG funds performing relatively well. Private equity will be challenged by the spread of COVID-19. And much more in this week’s briefing. Economic/industry news Canada’s inflation rate was 2.2% in February: Annual pace of inflation cools to 2.2% in February The BoE reduces its Bank Rate by 15 basis points: Coronavirus: UK interest […]

March 23, 2020

Monday morning briefing

Private equity could get more aggressive. The wealthy are focused on minimizing losses. SEC looking to confirm adherence to ESG principles. And much more in this week’s briefing. Economic/industry news The Fed reduces its central interest rate to 0%–0.25%: Federal Reserve cuts rate to zero and launches massive $700 billion quantitative easing program The BoC makes emergency […]

March 16, 2020

Monday morning briefing: How low can yields go?

Who does the data belong to? Start young to generate wealth. How to serve women’s financial needs. And much more in this week’s briefing. Economic/industry news The Fed announces an emergency rate reduction: Federal Reserve announces first emergency rate cut since the financial crisis The BoC cut its rate by 50 basis points: Bank of Canada follows Fed with rate cut […]

March 9, 2020

Monday morning briefing: Volatility spikes

Is a global recession on the horizon? Encouraging the high-net-worth to buy amid volatility. The PE industry can benefit from AI. And much more in this week’s briefing. Economic/industry news Canada’s GDP grew 0.3% (annualized) in Q4: Canada’s output stalls as exports and business investment drop U.S. economic growth was 2.1% in Q4 19: U.S. economy grew at 2.1% […]

March 2, 2020

Monday morning briefing: Retail sales are still weak

Fund managers are less optimistic. Being wealthy is more than just having a lot of money. And much more in this week’s briefing. Economic/industry news Canada’s inflation rate was 2.4% in January: Inflation rises 2.4% amid higher gas prices; core measures decelerate Will ESG indices become more popular than traditional indexes?: MSCI says ESG indexes will be […]

February 24, 2020

Tuesday morning briefing: Germany continues to struggle

Private equity’s success in the NBA. Helping companies eliminate wasteful spending. Family offices favour PE and real estate. And much more in this week’s briefing. Economic/industry news The U.S. inflation rate was up in January: US underlying consumer prices rise in January Thematic funds could be beneficial in portfolios: Where do thematic funds fit in a portfolio? Will hedge funds see […]

February 18, 2020

Monday morning briefing: Tesla in overdrive

Why value may not bounce back as high as some think. Not so fast on a cashless society. Don’t assume that all high-net-worth individuals are the same. And much more in this week’s briefing. Economic/industry news U.S. economy added jobs in January: January adds a much stronger-than-expected 225,000 jobs, with a boost from warm weather Canadian unemployment […]

February 10, 2020

Monday morning briefing: China’s GDP

Due diligence key in offering PE to retail investors. Family offices’ top investments are private equity and hedge funds. SEC releases best practices for cybersecurity. And much more in this week’s briefing. Economic/industry news U.S. Federal Reserve Board held rates steady at 1.50%-1.75%: Fed holds rates steady, affirms commitment to higher inflation USMCA signed into law […]

February 3, 2020

Monday morning briefing: Where’s oil going?

Activists are focusing on ESG. Is a digital currency on the way from central banks? Retirement plans are lagging the market. And much more in this week’s briefing. Economic/industry news The Canadian inflation rate was 2.2% in December: Inflation holds steady at 2.2% in December The Bank of Canada held rates steady: Bank of Canada opens door […]

January 27, 2020