August 31, 2021 Newsletter

Dear Friends, 
Tangents:

1896~Gold discovered, Klondike.
On Aug. 31, 1997, Britain’s Princess Diana died in a car crash in Paris at age 36.  Go to article »

A fake Banksy NFT sold for $336,000. (h/t Scott Kominers)

A Roman priest’s remains were found preserved in Pompeii

Too much or too little sleep could harm your brain.  Hey brain, could you be a little less particular? We’re trying our best out here.

Coffee prices haven’t been this high in 4 years.  Your coffee has to go through a lot to get to your tired mouth every morning, and right now it’s hitting a few snags along the way.
 
 Have you made a life-changing decision during the pandemic? CNN wants to know about it.  Come all ye divorcé/es, career-changers, new parents and cross-country movers. Tell us about it here

PHOTOS OF THE DAY


Mel Smothers plays the violin while stuck in traffic with evacuees as residents attempt to flee the Caldor fire in South Lake Tahoe, California

CREDIT: JOSH EDELSON/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES

U.S. Army Major General Chris Donahue, commander of the 82nd Airborne Division, steps on board a C-17 transport plane as the last U.S. service member to leave Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul, Afghanistan

CREDIT: US ARMY VIA REUTERS

Bird Photographer of the Year Awards 2021  Nicolas Reusens from Spain, Silver Award winner in the  Birds in Flight category

CREDIT: NICOLAS REUSENS

People attend ‘The Great Exhibition 2021: SCIENCE’ created by artistic collaboration Luxmuralis, at Lichfield Cathedra

CREDIT: REUTERS/ANDREW BOYERS

Market Closes for August 31st, 2021

Market
Index
Close Change
Dow
Jones
35360.73 -39.11
-0.11%
S&P 500 4522.68 -6.11
-0.13%
NASDAQ 15259.23 -6.66

-0.04%

TSX 20582.94 -12.03
-0.06%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

International Markets

Market
Index
Close Change
NIKKEI 28089.54 +300.25
+1.08%
HANG
SENG
25878.99 +339.45
+1.33%
SENSEX 57552.39 +662.63
+1.16%
FTSE 100* 7119.70 -28.31

-0.40%

Bonds

Bonds % Yield Previous % Yield
CND.
10 Year Bond
1.216 1.184
CND.
30 Year
Bond
1.776 1.743
U.S.   
10 Year Bond
1.3088 1.2785
U.S.
30 Year Bond
  1.9324   1.8964

Currencies

BOC Close Today Previous  
Canadian $ 0.7928 0.7933
US
$
1.2613 1.2605
Euro Rate
1 Euro=
Inverse
Canadian $ 1.4896 0.6713
US
$
1.1810 0.8467

Commodities

Gold Close Previous
London Gold
Fix
1798.50 1798.50
 
Oil
WTI Crude Future 68.50 69.21

Market Commentary:
     On this day in 1998, the Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 512.61 points, its second-worst point drop ever (but not even in the top 20 losses by percentage). The front page of The New York Post screamed: KISS YOUR ASSETS GOODBYE! By year end, the Dow was 21.8% higher.
Canada
By Aoyon Ashraf
(Bloomberg) — Canada’s main stock index rose for a seventh straight month in August, the longest winning streak since 2017, as technology shares continued their torrid gains. The S&P/TSX Composite index gained 1.5% this month, helped by strong performances by tech stocks including Shopify Inc.  The benchmark was flat on Tuesday but rose 83% since hitting pandemic low on March 2020.  The S&P/TSX Composite Information Technology index rose 5.8% in August, climbing to highest levels since Jan. 2001. Payments companies Nuvei Corp. and Lightspeed POS Inc. led the monthly advance within the tech index, both of which posted better-than-expected revenue in the second quarter.  In fact, a rebound in corporate earnings might have caught investors and analysts by surprise, which likely have contributed to the bullish rally for the index. “With first and second quarter earnings now behind us, it has become abundantly clear that earnings estimates and revisions across the board have struggled to keep pace with the breadth and depth and pure unadulterated strength of the current earnings recovery,” BMO’s Chief Investment Strategist Brian Belski wrote in a note. He also raised the price target for TSX 7.3% higher for this year, to 22,000 from his previous estimate of 20,500 and expects the “epic positive surprise cycle” likely to continue for the next few quarters.
On the flip side, the natural resources sectors were the worst performers this month as investors sold the materials and energy stocks. Gold miner New Gold Inc. was the worst performer within the materials, in August, after the company lowered its guidance. Within the energy sector, natural gas producer Keyera Corp. posted the worst monthly return, after its second quarter earnings disappointed the investors. On the M&A front, Canadian National Railway Co. was dealt a potentially fatal blow in its $30 billion effort to acquire Kansas City Southern as U.S. regulators rejected a plan to use a voting trust to make the purchase. The setback could prod Kansas City Southern to rethink Canadian National’s offer and send the U.S carrier back into the arms of Canadian Pacific Railway Ltd. CN Rail stock rose 7.4% on the news, while CP Rail shares tumbled 6.3% in Toronto. Meanwhile, the Canadian dollar fell slightly on Tuesday, after Canada’s economy unexpectedly stalled through spring and early summer, raising questions about the resiliency of the nation’s economy. The country’s Gross domestic product fell at an annualized 1.1% pace from April to June. Economists in a Bloomberg survey were anticipating a 2.5% expansion. 

By Bloomberg Automation:
     (Bloomberg) — The S&P/TSX Composite declined slightly to 20,582.94 in Toronto. Shopify Inc. contributed the most to the index decline, decreasing 1.3 percent. Canadian Pacific Railway Ltd. had the largest drop, falling 4.6 percent. Today, 103 of 229 shares fell, while 122 rose; 7 of 11 sectors were lower, led by financials stocks.

Insights
* This month, the index rose 1.5 percent
* The index advanced 25 percent in the past 52 weeks. The MSCI AC Americas Index gained 30 percent in the same period
* The S&P/TSX Composite is 0.6 percent below its 52-week high on Aug. 31, 2021 and 33.5 percent above its low on Oct. 30, 2020
* The S&P/TSX Composite is little changed in the past 5 days and rose 1.5 percent in the past 30 days
* S&P/TSX Composite is trading at a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.3 on a trailing basis and 16.2 times estimated earnings of its members for the coming year
* The index’s dividend yield is 2.5 percent on a trailing 12-month basis
* S&P/TSX Composite’s members have a total market capitalization of C$3.24t
* 30-day price volatility fell to 5.98 percent compared with 6.63 percent in the previous session and the average of 8.44 percent over the past month
================================================================
| Index Points | |
Sector Name | Move | % Change | Adv/Dec
================================================================
* Financials | -42.5734| -0.7| 10/18
* Information Technology | -14.1491| -0.6| 10/2
* Consumer Staples | -5.5114| -0.7| 4/7
* Energy | -5.1266| -0.2| 14/9
* Consumer Discretionary | -1.1285| -0.1| 3/9
* Utilities | -0.9566| -0.1| 4/12
* Real Estate | -0.4485| -0.1| 9/16
* Communication Services | 2.1460| 0.2| 4/3
* Health Care | 3.9630| 1.7| 7/2
* Materials | 16.7525| 0.7| 37/15
* Industrials | 34.9884| 1.4| 20/10
================================================================
| | |Volume VS| YTD
|Index Points| | 20D AVG | Change
Top Contributors | Move |% Change | (%) | (%)
================================================================
* Shopify | -19.9900| -1.3| 29.4| 34.0
* Canadian Pacific | -19.1900| -4.6| 892.2| -1.8
* Royal Bank of Canada | -14.6000| -1.1| 24.8| 23.9
* Franco-Nevada | 3.4620| 1.4| 22.9| 15.3
* Barrick Gold | 4.7100| 1.5| 15.6| -11.4
* Canadian National | 50.2500| 7.4| 520.1| 6.0

US
By Rita Nazareth and Elaine Chen
(Bloomberg) — The stock-market euphoria abated in the last trading day of August as investors assessed whether lofty valuations can withstand the unwinding of pandemic-era stimulus. The S&P 500 edged lower, while European shares fell on signals the region’s central bank will start discussing a reduction of bond purchases.
A decline in financial firms weighed on sentiment after Bloomberg News reported Wells Fargo & Co. risks regulatory action over the pace of restitution. Data Tuesday showed a slide in consumer confidence and the biggest jump in home prices in more than 30 years. American equities still notched their seventh straight monthly advance — the longest winning streak since January 2018 — amid a tonic of strong corporate profits and moderate monetary policy. As the tapering debate heats up at a time when a coronavirus resurgence is delaying re-openings in some parts of the world, there’s been concern about an overstretched stock market. The S&P 500 is currently trading near its highest valuation levels since 2000.“Markets are taking a little bit of a breather,” said Cliff Hodge, chief investment officer at Cornerstone Wealth.

     After making it through strong economic data and stellar corporate earnings, “markets are now trying to grapple with: well, what’s next?” Fourteen streaks of seven months or longer for the S&P 500 have occurred during the past 60 years, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. History points to three outcomes for the gauge after reaching such milestones. Five of them ended in the next month as the index fell. Another four were followed by gains of no more than 3.2% before the streaks ended. The other five delivered advances of 9.7% or more before they concluded — including the most recent streak, which lasted 10 months and ran through January 2018. Corporate insiders, whose buying correctly signaled the bear-market bottom in March 2020, are not afraid of chasing the record-setting rally. More than 1,000 executives and officers have snapped up shares of their own firms this month — the most since May of last year, according to data compiled by the Washington Service.  
Some corporate highlights:
* Zoom Video Communications Inc. tumbled after the stay-at-home darling gave a sales forecast that fell short of some analysts’ estimates.
* Chinese gaming-related stocks listed in the U.S. rebounded from Monday’s drop, with NetEase Inc. and Bilibili Inc. rallying.
* Moderna Inc. climbed after a study showed its Covid-19 vaccine generated more than double the antibodies of a similar shot made by Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech SE.
* Allbirds Inc. is moving ahead with an initial public offering as it expands beyond the wool trainers that have become the unofficial footwear of Silicon Valley.

Here are some key events to watch this week:
* OPEC+ meeting on output Wednesday
* Euro zone manufacturing PMI Wednesday
* U.S. jobs report Friday

Some of the main moves in markets:
Stocks
* The S&P 500 fell 0.1% as of 4 p.m. New York time
* The Nasdaq 100 fell 0.1%
* The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.1%
* The MSCI World index was little changed

Currencies
* The Bloomberg Dollar Spot Index was little changed
* The euro was little changed at $1.1807
* The British pound was little changed at $1.3749
* The Japanese yen was little changed at 110.01 per dollar

Bonds
* The yield on 10-year Treasuries advanced three basis points to 1.30%
* Germany’s 10-year yield advanced six basis points to -0.38%
* Britain’s 10-year yield advanced 14 basis points to 0.71%

Commodities
* West Texas Intermediate crude fell 1% to $68.50 a barrel
* Gold futures rose 0.3% to $1,817.40 an ounce
–With assistance from Sunil Jagtiani, Cecile Gutscher, David Wilson and Vildana Hajric.

Have a lovely evening.
 
Be magnificent!
As ever,

Carolann
How far that little candle throws his beams!  So shines a good deed in a naughty world. -William Shakespeare, 1564-1616.
 
Carolann Steinhoff, B.Sc., CFP®, CIM, CIWM
Senior Investment Advisor
 
Queensbury Securities Inc.,
St. Andrew’s Square,
Suite 340A, 730 View St.,
Victoria, B.C. V8W 3Y7
 
Tel: 778.430.5808
(C): 250.881.0801
Toll Free: 1.877.430.5895
Fax: 778.430.5828
www.carolannsteinhoff.com

August 30, 2021 Newsletter

Dear Friends,

Tangents:
On Aug. 30, 2005, Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast with devastating force, killing more than 1,700 people and flooding New Orleans after the city’s levees failed.  Go to article »

Coffee may reduce risk of death from stroke and heart disease.  Just a little something to tell yourself as you head to the coffee pot for a refill

Greenland expedition discovers ‘world’s northernmost island’.  For when you really, REALLY wanna get away

The U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan is complete: The war is over.

Hurricane Ida’s wrath—in pictures.

An AI figured out why “Macbeth” is so creepy. (h/t Alexandra Ivanoff)

PHOTOS OF THE DAY

Thirsty birds guzzle water from a dripping tap. The Cinnamon-breasted bunting, which has a striped head and brown features, was spotted in Salalah, the largest city in Oman. The little group had come to rehydrate at the tap, commonly used by those who live in the mountains for their camels, after feeding mid-morning. 

CREDIT: AMARDEEP SINGH/ SOLENT NEWS & PHOTO AGENCY UK

Flames surround a chair lift at Sierra-at-Tahoe Resort, a skiing area, during the Caldor fire in Twin Bridges, California.

CREDIT: JOSH EDELSON/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES

Artists dressed in costumes of Hindu deity lord Krishna and his mythological accomplices wait before they perform as a part of Janmashtami festival to mark the birth of Lord Krishna in Kolkata.

CREDIT: DIBYANGSHU SARKAR/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES

The Pferdestunt stunt horse riding team are pictured riding through flames at the Medieval festival at Herstmonceux Castle, in East Sussex, UK.

CREDIT: ED BROWN/COVER-IMAGES.COM
Market Closes for August 30th, 2021

Market
Index
Close Change
Dow
Jones
35399.84 -55.96
-0.16%
S&P 500 4528.79 +19.42
+0.43%
NASDAQ 15265.89 +136.39

+0.90%

TSX 20594.97 -49.67
-0.24%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

International Markets

Market
Index
Close Change
NIKKEI 27789.29 +148.15
+0.54%
HANG
SENG
25539.54 +131.65
+0.52%
SENSEX 56889.79 +765.04
+1.36%
FTSE 100* 7148.01 +23.03

+0.32%

Bonds

Bonds % Yield Previous % Yield
CND.
10 Year Bond
1.184 1.204
CND.
30 Year
Bond
1.743 1.752
U.S.   
10 Year Bond
1.2785 1.3087
U.S.
30 Year Bond
  1.8964 1.9195

Currencies

BOC Close Today Previous  
Canadian $ 0.7933 0.7924
US
$
1.2605 1.2620
Euro Rate
1 Euro=
Inverse
Canadian $ 1.4871 0.6724
US
$
1.1798 0.8476

Commodities

Gold Close Previous
London Gold
Fix
1798.50 1786.60
 
Oil
WTI Crude Future 69.21 68.74

Market Commentary:
     On this day in 1930, and with the Dow at 240.42, Warren Edward Buffett was born in Omaha, Neb., to stockbroker Howard Buffett and homemaker Leila Stahl Buffett.
Canada

By Aoyon Ashraf
(Bloomberg) — Canadian equity markets dropped as cyclical stocks such as materials, financials and health care companies underperformed. The S&P/TSX Composite fell 0.2% in Toronto, following on the previous session’s increase of 0.7%. Materials stocks were the worst performers, led by miners. Consumer staples and tech stocks were the best performers. Royal Bank of Canada contributed the most to the index decline, decreasing 0.9%. Westport Fuel Systems Inc. had the largest drop, falling 5.6%. The national election next month raises the possibility Canada could impose five-year targets to reduce the oil industry’s greenhouse gas emissions or switch to synchronizing rules with those of economic partners, depending on who among the top political parties forms the country’s next government. Terminal users can read more in our markets live blog.

Insights
* This month, the index rose 1.5%
* The index advanced 23% in the past 52 weeks. The MSCI AC Americas Index gained 30% in the same period
* The S&P/TSX Composite is 0.3% below its 52-week high on Aug.27, 2021 and 33.6% above its low on Oct. 30, 2020
* The S&P/TSX Composite is up 0.6% in the past 5 days and rose 1.5% in the past 30 days
* S&P/TSX Composite is trading at a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.3 on a trailing basis and 16.2 times estimated earnings of its members for the coming year
* The index’s dividend yield is 2.5% on a trailing 12-month basis
* S&P/TSX Composite’s members have a total market capitalization of C$3.25t
* 30-day price volatility fell to 6.63% compared with 7.86% in the previous session and the average of 8.58% over the past month

================================================================
| Index Points | |
Sector Name | Move | % Change | Adv/Dec
================================================================
* Financials | -49.6688| -0.8| 7/21
* Materials | -21.9827| -0.9| 15/38
* Energy | -7.6384| -0.3| 8/14
* Consumer Discretionary | -2.8577| -0.4| 5/6
* Health Care | -1.9359| -0.8| 2/7
* Industrials | -1.6539| -0.1| 18/12
* Utilities | -0.5482| -0.1| 11/4
* Real Estate | 1.3403| 0.2| 19/5
* Communication Services | 4.4084| 0.4| 5/2
* Consumer Staples | 7.9163| 1.0| 11/2
* Information Technology | 22.9555| 0.9| 8/4
================================================================
| | |Volume VS| YTD
|Index Points | | 20D AVG | Change
Top Contributors | Move | % Change | (%) | (%)
================================================================
* Royal Bank of | | | |
* Canada | -12.0100| -0.9| -33.1| 25.3
* TD Bank | -6.8510| -0.7| -20.0| 15.1
* Bank of Nova Scotia| -6.7660| -1.0| 40.3| 14.2
* CGI Inc | 3.6590| 2.2| 28.2| 11.6
* Couche-Tard | 3.8520| 1.3| -12.6| 19.6
* Shopify | 14.0500| 0.9| -51.1| 35.8

US
By Rita Nazareth
(Bloomberg) — Stocks climbed, led by some of the world’s largest technology companies.  Traders also assessed the impacts from Tropical Storm Ida, which sank insurers and energy firms, while pushing gasoline higher. The S&P 500 notched its 12th all-time high in August, and the Nasdaq 100 rallied as Apple Inc.’s market value topped $2.5 trillion.  Robinhood Markets Inc. and Charles Schwab Corp. slid as Securities and Exchange Commission’s Chairman Gary Gensler told Barron’s that a full ban of payment for order flow is “on the table.” As the earnings season draws to a close, the S&P 500 is on track for its seventh straight monthly advance — the longest winning streak since January 2018. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell did just enough last week to preserve the view that his goals align with investors’: growth that is fast enough to boost hiring and corporate profits, but not inflation. U.S. pending home sales fell in July, while traders looked to Friday’s payrolls data for a guide as to whether there’s any slowdown. “Tactical investors should tilt portfolios in favor of stocks over bonds,” said Ryan Detrick, chief market strategist at LPL Financial.  “This certainly does not mean that an exogenous shock could not cause stocks to correct. However, when looking at the recent pace of earnings, the policy environment and market history, we fail to see a compelling bear case against equities.”
For veteran strategist Robert Doll, while the equity-market rally may be getting “a little tired,” it has more than enough fuel to continue. A “still good” economy means that stocks will “generally go up,” Doll, chief investment officer at Crossmark Global Investments Inc., said in an interview on Bloomberg TV’s Surveillance Monday. “A good economy means good earnings, so the path of least resistance has been and likely will continue to be to the upside.”

Some other corporate highlights:
* Affirm Holdings Inc. surged after entering a partnership with Amazon.com Inc. to help consumers finance large purchases made on the e-commerce giant’s website.
* Vinco Ventures Inc., a digital media company, and software firm Support.com Inc. extended rallies fueled by retail investors in chatrooms like StockTwits and on Reddit.
* Airlines fell as European Union countries voted to reimpose restrictions on non-essential travel from the U.S. amid a surge in coronavirus cases.
* Chinese gaming stocks listed in the U.S. were under pressure after regulators in Beijing cut back the amount of time minors can play each week, with NetEase Inc. and Bilibili Inc. dropping.

Here are some key events to watch this week:
* OPEC+ meeting on output Wednesday
* Euro zone manufacturing PMI Wednesday
* China Caixin manufacturing PMI Wednesday
* U.S. jobs report Friday

Some of the main moves in markets:
Stocks
* The S&P 500 rose 0.4% as of 4 p.m. New York time
* The Nasdaq 100 rose 1.1%
* The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.2%
* The MSCI World index rose 0.5%

Currencies
* The Bloomberg Dollar Spot Index was little changed
* The euro was little changed at $1.1799
* The British pound was little changed at $1.3761
* The Japanese yen was little changed at 109.90 per dollar

Bonds
* The yield on 10-year Treasuries fell three basis points to 1.28%
* Germany’s 10-year yield declined two basis points to -0.44%
* Britain’s 10-year yield was little changed at 0.58%

Commodities
* West Texas Intermediate crude rose 0.5% to $69.05 a barrel
* Gold futures fell 0.4% to $1,813.10 an ounce
–With assistance from Andreea Papuc, Robert Brand, Nancy Moran, Vildana Hajric and Kamaron Leach.

Have a lovely evening.

Be magnificent!
As ever,

Carolann

An adventure is only an inconvenience rightly considered.  An inconvenience is only an adventure wrongly considered. –G.K. Chesterton, 1874-1936.

Carolann Steinhoff, B.Sc., CFP®, CIM, CIWM
Senior Investment Advisor

Queensbury Securities Inc.,
St. Andrew’s Square,
Suite 340A, 730 View St.,
Victoria, B.C. V8W 3Y7

Tel: 778.430.5808
(C): 250.881.0801
Toll Free: 1.877.430.5895
Fax: 778.430.5828
www.carolannsteinhoff.com
a

August 27, 2021 Newsletter

Dear Friends,

Tangents: Happy Friday.

On Aug. 27, 1962, the United States launched the Mariner 2 space probe, which flew past Venus the following December.  Go to article »

The superyachts are fine, everybody.

Scientists are searching for lost Nazi nuclear cubes.

PICTURES OF THE DAY

Martin Broen explores the otherwordly landscapes of underwater caves and cenotes along the Riviera Maya in Mexico

CREDIT: CATERS NEWS AGENCY

Long exposure picture of Rocket Lab’s Electron takes off into space from Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand

CREDIT: ROCKET LAB/HANDOUT VIA REUTERS

Andy Jones of the USA dives from the 21 metre Stari Most (Old Bridge) during the first competition day of the third stop of the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series at Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina

CREDIT: ROMINA AMATO/RED BULL VIA GETTY IMAGES

Market Closes for August 27th, 2021

Market
Index
Close Change
Dow
Jones
35455.80 +242.68
+0.69%
S&P 500 4509.37 +39.37
+0.88%
NASDAQ 15129.50 +183.69

+1.23%

TSX 20644.64 +140.49
+0.69%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

International Markets

Market
Index
Close Change
NIKKEI 27641.14 -101.15
-0.36%
HANG
SENG
25407.89 -7.80
-0.03%
SENSEX 56124.72 +175.62
+0.31%
FTSE 100* 7148.01 +23.03

+0.32%

Bonds

Bonds % Yield Previous % Yield
CND.
10 Year Bond
1.204 1.239
CND.
30 Year
Bond
1.752 1.786
U.S.   
10 Year Bond
1.3087 1.3491
U.S.
30 Year Bond
1.9195   1.9468

Currencies

BOC Close Today Previous  
Canadian $ 0.7924 0.7884
US
$
1.2620 1.2684
Euro Rate
1 Euro=
Inverse
Canadian $ 1.4886 0.6718
US
$
1.1795 0.8478

Commodities

Gold Close Previous
London Gold
Fix
1786.60 1788.70
 
Oil
WTI Crude Future 68.74 67.42

Market Commentary:
     On this day in 1878, the day after he returned to his laboratory in Menlo Park, N.J., from a trip to St. Louis, Thomas Edison began experimenting with electric light. By the middle of September (the final date is uncertain), Edison had solved the problem of creating incandescent light.
Canada
By Michael Bellusci
(Bloomberg) — The S&P/TSX Composite rose 0.7% at 20,644.64 in Toronto, closing at a fresh record high to end the week.  Canadian Natural Resources Ltd. contributed the most to the index gain, increasing 4.6%.  Endeavour Silver Corp. had the largest increase, rising 6.4%. Today, 161 of 229 shares rose, while 67 fell; 9 of 11 sectors were higher, led by materials stocks.

Insights
* This month, the index rose 1.8 percent
* This week, the index rose 1.5 percent, the biggest advance since the week ended May 28
* The index advanced 23 percent in the past 52 weeks. The MSCI AC Americas Index gained 30 percent in the same period
* The S&P/TSX Composite is 0.1 percent below its 52-week high on Aug. 27, 2021 and 33.9 percent above its low on Oct. 30, 2020
* S&P/TSX Composite is trading at a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.4 on a trailing basis and 16.3 times estimated earnings of its members for the coming year
* The index’s dividend yield is 2.5 percent on a trailing 12-month basis
* S&P/TSX Composite’s members have a total market capitalization of C$3.22t
* 30-day price volatility fell to 7.86 percent compared with 8.31 percent in the previous session and the average of 8.76 percent over the past month
================================================================
| Index Points | |
Sector Name | Move | % Change | Adv/Dec
================================================================
* Materials | 63.9725| 2.8| 51/2
* Energy | 46.4027| 1.9| 22/1
* Information Technology | 24.0529| 1.0| 10/2
* Industrials | 11.6988| 0.5| 19/11
* Consumer Discretionary | 2.6023| 0.3| 7/6
* Health Care | 2.5845| 1.1| 7/2
* Communication Services | 2.5560| 0.3| 5/2
* Real Estate | 1.9427| 0.3| 18/6
* Utilities | 0.3664| 0.0| 8/8
* Consumer Staples | -0.9602| -0.1| 5/8
* Financials | -14.7222| -0.2| 9/19
================================================================
| | |Volume VS |
| Index | | 20D AVG |YTD Change
Top Contributors |Points Move| % Change | (%) | (%)
================================================================
* Canadian Natural | | | |
* Resources | 15.5400| 4.6| 0.1| 38.7
* Shopify | 10.7800| 0.7| -43.3| 34.6
* Barrick Gold | 6.5690| 2.1| -8.0| -11.4
* Bank of Nova Scotia| -3.4670| -0.5| 60.5| 15.4
* TD Bank | -5.0740| -0.5| 53.2| 15.8
* CIBC | -5.3780| -1.2| 168.9| 34.7

US
By Jennifer Bissell-Linsk and Vildana Hajric
(Bloomberg) — U.S. equities gained to another record high as investors took assurance from comments by Jerome Powell that the withdrawal of stimulus would be gradual. The S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100 rose after the Federal Reserve chairman’s much-anticipated Jackson Hole address, where he reinforced the message that it would be appropriate to begin tapering bond purchases by the end of the year. Treasury yields and the dollar fell. Gold gained. Powell said the economy has now met the test of “substantial further progress” toward the Fed’s inflation objective while the labor market has also made “clear progress.” The remarks come as the latest reading of a closely watched measure of inflation remained elevated, highlighting the case for starting policy normalization despite the threat of the delta virus variant on the economic recovery.  “Investors are breathing a sigh of relief as Powell suggests a kinder, gentler Fed tightening,” said Mike Bailey, director of research at FBB Capital Partners. “Judging by the equity move, my sense is mainstream investors expected a harder line from Powell about tapering starting in the fall and rate hikes locked in for late 2022 or early 2023.”
During the speech, Powell also drew a line between asset purchases and interest rates, saying the Fed wouldn’t be in a hurry to begin increasing rates after it begins tapering its $120-billion-a-month bond-buying program. “I would fully expect that they will formally start slowly cutting asset purchases in October,” said Jeffery Elswick, director of fixed income at Frost Investment Advisors, targeting a September announcement. “But as long as they continue to be ultra-dovish on future rate hikes, I don’t think it will create a huge market reaction– at least initially.” The next risk factors will likely come from economic reports, given the market’s experience with communicating quantitative easing, Kevin Caron, senior portfolio manager at Washington Crossing Advisors, said. “While a policy misstep could happen, while a communication misstep could happen, it’s really more in the economic data itself where we would look for risk,” he said. The Stoxx Europe 600 index gained, on track for the seventh straight month of gains, the longest streak in eight years. Stocks climbed in China, where the central bank signaled targeted steps to cushion the economy. West Texas Intermediate crude had its best week since June 2020. Bitcoin rose above $48,000.

Some of the main moves in markets:
Stocks
* The S&P 500 rose 0.9% as of 4 p.m. New York time
* The Nasdaq 100 rose 1%
* The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.7%
* The MSCI World index rose 0.8%

Currencies
* The Bloomberg Dollar Spot Index fell 0.5%
* The euro rose 0.4% to $1.1796
* The British pound rose 0.5% to $1.3763
* The Japanese yen rose 0.2% to 109.83 per dollar

Bonds
* The yield on 10-year Treasuries declined five basis points to 1.30%
* Germany’s 10-year yield declined two basis points to -0.42%
* Britain’s 10-year yield declined two basis points to 0.58%

Commodities
* West Texas Intermediate crude rose 2% to $68.74 a barrel
* Gold futures rose 1.5% to $1,821.30 an ounce
–With assistance from Kamaron Leach and Elaine Chen.

Have a wonderful weekend everyone.

Be magnificent!
As ever,

Carolann

We don’t see things as they are, we see them as we are. –Anaïs Nin, 1903-1977.

Carolann Steinhoff, B.Sc., CFP®, CIM, CIWM
Senior Investment Advisor

Queensbury Securities Inc.,
St. Andrew’s Square,
Suite 340A, 730 View St.,
Victoria, B.C. V8W 3Y7

Tel: 778.430.5808
(C): 250.881.0801
Toll Free: 1.877.430.5895
Fax: 778.430.5828
www.carolannsteinhoff.com

August 26, 2021 Newsletter

Dear Friends,

Tangents:
Krakatoa Erupts, 1883 – 36,000 killed.

Christopher Columbus, explorer, b. 1451.
2003: Investigators concluded that NASA’s overconfident management and inattention to safety doomed the space shuttle Columbia as much as damage to the craft did.  Go to article »

An extra artery shows humans are still evolving.

Why are hyperlinks blue?

The search for alien life should broaden its horizons a bit, a new study suggests.

Fossil confiscated in Brazilian police raid is one of the most complete pterosaur skeletons ever found.  This piece of news could send you down the fascinating rabbit hole of illegal (or at best, questionably legal) fossil trades.

PHOTOS OF THE DAY

An aerial view shows a giant landart fresco by French-Swiss artist Saype next to the Moleson summit in Moleson-sur-Gruyeres, Switzerland
CREDIT: VALETIN FLAURUD/EPA-EFE/SHUTTERSTOCK

The Train to the Clouds, the third highest passenger railway in the world, travels through northwestern Argentina, reaching 4,186 meters above sea level on the viaduct ‘La Polvorilla’, near the foothills of the Andes
CREDIT: TRAIN OF THE CLOUDS/HANDOUT/EPA-EFE/SHUTTERSTOCK

Aliens from the planet Hanyana, stars of Fringe show WeCameToDance, explore the mirror maze at Camera Obscura & World of Illusions, Edinburgh during the Edinburgh Fringe Festival
CREDIT: EUAN SHERRY/GERRY IMAGES

Tent city… thousands of people camping at the Reading Festival
CREDIT: VAGNER VIDAL/HYDE NEWS & PICTURE LTD

Bonhams are auctioning works of South African sculptor Stella Shawzin. Pictured is Sasha Thomas with Polo Pony listed at £3,000-5000
CREDIT: FIONA HANSON

Market Closes for August 26th, 2021

 

Market
Index
Close Change
Dow
Jones
35213.12 -192.38
-0.54%
S&P 500 4470.00 -26.19
-0.58%
NASDAQ 14945.81 -96.05

-0.64%

TSX 20504.15 -83.17
-0.40%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

International Markets

Market
Index
Close Change
NIKKEI 27742.29 +17.49
+0.06%
HANG
SENG
25415.69 -278.26
-1.08%
SENSEX 55949.10 +4.89
+0.01%
FTSE 100* 7124.98 -25.14

-0.35%

Bonds

Bonds % Yield Previous % Yield
CND.
10 Year Bond
1.239 1.249
CND.
30 Year
Bond
1.786 1.815
U.S.   
10 Year Bond
1.3491 1.3390
U.S.
30 Year Bond
  1.9468   1.9482

Currencies

BOC Close Today Previous  
Canadian $ 0.7884 0.7942
US
$
1.2684 1.2591
Euro Rate
1 Euro=
Inverse
Canadian $ 1.4913 0.6706
US
$
1.1756 0.8506

Commodities

Gold Close Previous
London Gold
Fix
1788.70 1808.45
 
Oil
WTI Crude Future 67.42 68.41

Market Commentary:
     On this day in 1919, the Coca-Cola Co. successfully sold shares to outsiders for the first time, as a syndicate of banks and brokers from around the country bought 417,000 shares to resell to retail investors at an initial offering price of $40. (An earlier attempt at a stock offering in 1892 failed miserably.)
Canada
By Michael Bellusci
(Bloomberg) — The S&P/TSX Composite fell 0.4% at 20,504.15 in Toronto, ending a 4-day rally. The loss follows the previous session’s increase of 0.2%. Investors will be listening for any details at tomorrow’s Jackson Hole symposium for when and how the U.S. central bank will start to ease back its massive bond buying program. Toronto-Dominion Bank contributed the most to the index decline, decreasing 2.4%. Lithium Americas Corp. had the largest drop, falling 5.3%. Today, 118 of 229 shares fell, while 108 rose; 6 of 11 sectors were lower, led by financials stocks.

Insights
* This month, the index rose 1.1 percent
* So far this week, the index rose 0.8 percent
* The index advanced 22 percent in the past 52 weeks. The MSCI AC Americas Index gained 29 percent in the same period
* The S&P/TSX Composite is 0.5 percent below its 52-week high on Aug. 25, 2021 and 33 percent above its low on Oct. 30, 2020
* The S&P/TSX Composite is up 1.4 percent in the past 5 days and rose 1.7 percent in the past 30 days
* S&P/TSX Composite is trading at a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.6 on a trailing basis and 16.3 times estimated earnings of its members for the coming year
* The index’s dividend yield is 2.5 percent on a trailing 12-month basis
* S&P/TSX Composite’s members have a total market capitalization of C$3.24t
* 30-day price volatility rose to 8.31 percent compared with 8.20 percent in the previous session and the average of 8.83 percent over the past month
================================================================
| Index Points | |
Sector Name | Move | % Change | Adv/Dec
================================================================
* Financials | -60.9712| -0.9| 6/22
* Information Technology | -28.8753| -1.2| 5/7
* Consumer Discretionary | -6.0444| -0.8| 2/11
* Health Care | -2.8152| -1.2| 2/6
* Consumer Staples | -2.4383| -0.3| 9/4
* Materials | -0.9676| 0.0| 28/23
* Energy | 0.0217| 0.0| 10/13
* Utilities | 1.9418| 0.2| 12/4
* Communication Services | 2.2689| 0.2| 5/2
* Real Estate | 2.5784| 0.4| 19/6
* Industrials | 12.1324| 0.5| 10/20
================================================================
| | |Volume VS| YTD
|Index Points | | 20D AVG | Change
Top Contributors | Move | % Change | (%) | (%)
================================================================
* TD Bank | -26.0100| -2.4| 60.6| 16.4
* Shopify | -25.9600| -1.7| -52.7| 33.6
* Bank of Montreal | -13.7600| -2.3| -13.7| 31.9
* Waste Connections | 2.9430| 1.0| -35.9| 23.7
* Brookfield Asset | | | |
* Management | 4.2500| 0.6| 2.3| 36.8
* Canadian National | 9.1900| 1.4| -12.3| -1.0

US
By Jennifer Bissell-Linsk and Kamaron Leach
(Bloomberg) — U.S. equities fell Thursday as markets turned cautious after explosions in Afghanistan and ahead of a Federal Reserve gathering that may provide more clues about its approach to paring stimulus. The S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100 slid as U.S. and civilian casualties were reported from blasts outside the Kabul airport, escalating tensions as the U.S. evacuates the area. The decline came after non-voting members of the Federal Open Market Committee also made hawkish monetary comments, urging the Fed to start tapering its asset purchase program. Energy shares led the decline as crude oil fell. Treasuries were little changed and the dollar rose. Michael O’Rourke, chief market strategist at Jones Trading, said the quick drop in shares was likely a culmination of the morning news, including the uncertainty created by the explosions and the Fed commentary ahead of Chairman Jerome Powell’s speech at the Jackson Hole symposium. Views are split on whether the address Friday will provide a clearer guide on tapering emergency Fed support.  While the ongoing economic rebound and elevated inflation add to the case for starting policy normalization, the fast-spreading delta virus strain threatens a slower pace of recovery  than some had expected. “While news of bombings at the Kabul airport has resulted in some volatility this morning, it has become consensus that Jackson Hole will be more or less a non-event as investors are moving expectations for any major Fed taper announcement to later this year,” said Christopher Murphy, Susquehanna International Group co-head of derivatives strategy. If Powell fails to hint at when a taper announcement will happen, all eyes will next be on the August jobs report, said Chris Zaccarelli, chief investment officer at Independent Advisor Alliance. The latest jobless claims and annualized gross domestic product data Thursday slightly missed estimates. “A strong jobs report on Sept. 3 will lead to increased speculation that the Fed will announce their taper plans at the September FOMC meeting,” he said. “However, any weakness or disappointment in that report will push consensus back to the next Fed meeting.” The Stoxx Europe 600 Index fell, dragged lower by basic resources and travel, while MSCI Inc.’s Asia-Pacific gauge snapped a three-day rally.  WTI crude oil fell, paring back its weekly gain to about 9%. Bitcoin slid to about $47,000. Gold was slightly higher.

Here are some events to watch this week:
* Fed officials participate in the Jackson Hole Economic Policy Symposium on Friday
* July U.S. personal income and spending data Friday. Investors will scrutinize the personal consumption expenditures price index, an inflation measure closely watched by the Fed.

Some of the main moves in markets:
Stocks
* The S&P 500 fell 0.6% as of 4 p.m. New York time
* The Nasdaq 100 fell 0.6%
* The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.5%
* The MSCI World index fell 0.5%

Currencies
* The Bloomberg Dollar Spot Index rose 0.3%
* The euro fell 0.2% to $1.1754
* The British pound fell 0.5% to $1.3698
* The Japanese yen was little changed at 110.03 per dollar

Bonds
* The yield on 10-year Treasuries was little changed at 1.34%
* Germany’s 10-year yield advanced one basis point to -0.41%
* Britain’s 10-year yield was little changed at 0.60%

Commodities
* West Texas Intermediate crude fell 0.8% to $67.84 a barrel
* Gold futures rose 0.2% to $1,794.70 an ounce
–With assistance from Divya Balji, Vildana Hajric and Robert Brand.

Have a lovely evening.

Be magnificent!
As ever,

Carolann

How far you go in life depends on your being tender with the young, compassionate with the aged, sympathetic with the striving, and tolerant of the weak and strong.  Because someday in your life you will have been all of these. –George Washington Carver, 1864-1943.

Carolann Steinhoff, B.Sc., CFP®, CIM, CIWM
Senior Investment Advisor

Queensbury Securities Inc.,
St. Andrew’s Square,
Suite 340A, 730 View St.,
Victoria, B.C. V8W 3Y7

Tel: 778.430.5808
(C): 250.881.0801
Toll Free: 1.877.430.5895
Fax: 778.430.5828
www.carolannsteinhoff.com

August 25, 2021 Newsletter

Dear Friends,

Tangents:
On Aug. 25, 1944, Paris was liberated by Allied forces after four years of Nazi occupation. Go to article »

1939~ The Wizard of Oz is released.
Sean Connery, actor, b. 1930
Leonard Bernstein, composer, b. 1918
Elvis Costello, singer, b. 1954

FDA discourages the viral #MilkCrateChallenge.  In case you need it spelled out: Milk crates are for milk! Not stacking on top of each other and holding human weight

Frisky venomous sea snakes are confusing divers for their mates.  Wow, every word in that sentence just gets worse and worse

Taylor Swift is on TikTok now and fans are freaking.  It was only a matter of time! She is omnipresent!

The Late Night Hosts weigh in on the latest:
“Well, guys, as I mentioned, today the report on the origins of Covid was completed, and an unclassified version will soon be released to the public. And like everything with this pandemic, I’m sure Americans will fully accept the truth and they’ll put all conspiracy theories to rest.” — JIMMY FALLON

“Yep, the unclassified report will come out in a few days, or sooner if Sony accidentally leaks it early.” — JIMMY FALLON, referring to the leaked “Spider-Man” trailer

“President Biden yesterday encouraged Americans who have been waiting for the F.D.A. to approve the Pfizer coronavirus vaccine to go out and get the shot. But I don’t know, something tells me they’re going to find a way to move the goal posts again: [imitating anti-vaxxer] ‘Sure, it’s F.D.A.-approved, but is it farm to table, something that’s suddenly very important to me?’” — SETH MEYERS

“Following the announcement that the F.D.A. has officially approved the Pfizer vaccine, President Biden is now calling on companies in the private sector to adopt a shot mandate. If you ask me, this is just further proof of a giant conspiracy between the government and the corporate elite to infringe on Americans’ God-given right to get infected by a deadly virus.” — JAMES CORDEN

“Following the full approval of Pfizer’s coronavirus vaccine, the company revealed it would start marketing the drug under the name Comirnaty, so now people will start referring to the Pfizer vaccine as ‘the Pfizer vaccine.’” — SETH MEYERS

“It’s too late for a rebrand. This is like when your friend comes back from vacation and is like, ‘Actually, everyone calls me Turbo now.’” — SETH MEYERS.

PHOTOS OF THE DAY

A leopard picks a fight with a porcupine at Kruger National Park, South Africa

CREDIT: MARIETTE LANDMAN/ CATERS NEWS AGENCY

Giulio captured this image of the Adda River Airuno, Lecco, Italy on a foggy autumn day from a small church on a hilltop. It is a finalist in the Weather photographer of the Year 2021 competition

CREDIT: GIULIO MONTINI

A surfer rides a wave in wild surf conditions at Bronte Beach in Sydney, Australia

CREDIT: TELEGRAPH NEWS

Wild ponies and foals pose in the purple heather atop of Wills Neck and Triscombe Quarry. The majestic horses were seen on Quantock Hills, west of Bridgwater in Somerset

CREDIT: KEVIN EAST PHOTOGRAPHY/TRIANGLE NEWS

Market Closes for August 25th, 2021

Market
Index
Close Change
Dow
Jones
35405.50 +39.24
+0.11%
S&P 500 4496.19 +9.96
+0.22%
NASDAQ 15041.86 +22.06

+0.15%

TSX 20587.32 +39.56
+0.19%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

International Markets

Market
Index
Close Change
NIKKEI 27724.80 -7.30
-0.03%
HANG
SENG
25693.95 -33.97
-0.13%
SENSEX 55944.21 -14.77
-0.03%
FTSE 100* 7150.12 +24.34

+0.34%

Bonds

Bonds % Yield Previous % Yield
CND.
10 Year Bond
1.249 1.190
CND.
30 Year
Bond
1.815 1.770
U.S.   
10 Year Bond
1.3390 1.2935
U.S.
30 Year Bond
  1.9482   1.9161

Currencies

BOC Close Today Previous  
Canadian $ 0.7942 0.7938
US
$
1.2591 1.2597
Euro Rate
1 Euro=
Inverse
Canadian $ 1.4822 0.6747
US
$
1.1772 0.8495

Commodities

Gold Close Previous
London Gold
Fix
1808.45 1802.00
 
Oil
WTI Crude Future 68.41 67.67

Market Commentary:
     On this day in 1987, the Dow Jones Industrial Average hit a new record high—up 44% for the year and triple its level of just five years earlier. “In a market like this, every story is a positive one,” said Jon Groveman, head equity trader at Ladenburg, Thalmann & Co. “It’s pretty much being taken for granted now that the market is going to go up.” For a while, anyway: Less than two months later, on Oct. 19, the Dow lost 23% in a single day.
Canada
By Michael Bellusci
(Bloomberg) — Canadian shares extended their rally as big banks including RBC topped estimates. The S&P/TSX Composite Index gained 0.2%, with financials and tech leading the charge. Oil rose for a third session after a U.S. government report showed that crude and gasoline inventories fell despite fears that the delta variant’s spread would sap demand. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau took a populist turn in Canada’s election campaign, pledging to impose a 3% surtax on the nation’s big banks and insurers.

Commodities:
* Western Canadian Select crude oil traded at a $12.50 discount to West Texas Intermediate
* Spot gold fell 0.7% to $1,790.91 an ounce

FX/Bonds:
* The Canadian dollar was little changed at C$1.2593 per U.S. dollar
* The 10-year Canada government bond yield rose 6.1 basis points to 1.251%

By Bloomberg Automation:
     (Bloomberg) — The S&P/TSX Composite rose for the fourth day, climbing 0.2 percent, or 39.56 to 20,587.32 in Toronto. Royal Bank of Canada contributed the most to the index gain, increasing 0.8 percent. Lithium Americas Corp. had the largest increase, rising 5.4 percent. Today, 126 of 229 shares rose, while 100 fell; 7 of 11 sectors were higher, led by financials stocks.

Insights
* This month, the index rose 1.5 percent
* The index advanced 24 percent in the past 52 weeks. The MSCI AC Americas Index gained 31 percent in the same period
* The S&P/TSX Composite is 0.1 percent below its 52-week high on Aug. 25, 2021 and 33.5 percent above its low on Oct. 30, 2020
* The S&P/TSX Composite is up 1.4 percent in the past 5 days and rose 2 percent in the past 30 days
* S&P/TSX Composite is trading at a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.7 on a trailing basis and 16.4 times estimated earnings of its members for the coming year

* The index’s dividend yield is 2.5 percent on a trailing 12-month basis
* S&P/TSX Composite’s members have a total market capitalization of C$3.23t
* 30-day price volatility fell to 8.20 percent compared with 8.44 percent in the previous session and the average of 8.85 percent over the past month
================================================================
| Index Points | |
Sector Name | Move | % Change | Adv/Dec
================================================================
* Financials | 35.0951| 0.5| 19/9
* Information Technology | 11.6185| 0.5| 9/3
* Industrials | 4.2144| 0.2| 22/8
* Energy | 3.9516| 0.2| 13/10
* Real Estate | 2.8349| 0.5| 17/6
* Consumer Staples | 2.0730| 0.3| 8/5
* Consumer Discretionary | 1.4705| 0.2| 10/3
* Communication Services | -0.5106| -0.1| 4/3
* Utilities | -0.5891| -0.1| 7/9
* Health Care | -1.3801| -0.6| 3/6
* Materials | -19.2017| -0.8| 14/38
================================================================
| | |Volume VS | YTD
| Index | | 20D AVG | Change
Top Contributors |Points Move| % Change | (%) | (%)
================================================================
* Royal Bank of Canada| 10.9200| 0.8| 7.9| 27.3
* Shopify | 10.7100| 0.7| -12.0| 35.9
* Bank of Nova Scotia | 8.7100| 1.3| 154.5| 17.2
* CGI Inc | -2.4390| -1.4| 47.1| 9.1
* Franco-Nevada | -4.2730| -1.8| -17.8| 12.6
* Barrick Gold | -4.9570| -1.6| -35.3| -13.4

US
By Vildana Hajric and Kamaron Leach
(Bloomberg) — U.S. equities were higher on a quiet day of trading ahead of the Federal Reserve’s Jackson Hole symposium later this week. The S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100 gained on Wednesday, with both indexes topping record highs. The financial and energy sectors led the gains as Treasury yields and crude oil advanced. Meanwhile, stocks in Europe drifted while a gauge of Chinese tech names struggled to extend a rally. “There are not that many bears left,” Irene Tunkel, chief U.S. equity strategist at BCA Research, said by phone. Pullbacks like last week’s are becoming “shallower and shallower” as more people buy the dip, she said. “There is very, very strong buy-the-dip mentality.” Company earnings, expanding vaccinations and support from monetary policy have helped repair sentiment in the face of climbing delta variant cases. However, the pace of the Fed’s plans to begin tapering its asset purchase program remains a key overhang, which traders seek to get more clarity on when Fed Chairman Jerome Powell speaks virtually on Friday.
Fiona Cincotta, a senior financial markets analyst at City Index, said investors have been “flip flopping” over whether the Fed will make a taper announcement, with current consensus expecting the Fed to delay an announcement until later in the autumn, given the rising Covid cases. Investors are hoping to gain more insight into the Fed’s thinking on monetary stimulus amid a takeoff in inflation but still-mixed economic reports. The latest data Wednesday showed orders placed with U.S. factories for business equipment unexpectedly stalled in July, marking a pause in a months-long buildup in capital investment. “Visibility into getting enough product to satisfy demand is a challenge. Managing one’s own rising cost pressures and labor shortages are another,” said Peter Boockvar, Bleakley Advisory Group chief investment officer, noting the recovery’s uncertainty. “On the other hand, for those thinking longer term, capital investments must take place.” WTI crude oil gained, adding to Tuesday’s best two-day rally since November 2020. Gold fell below $1,800. The dollar was little changed.

Here are some events to watch this week:
* Bank of Korea policy decision; briefing by Governor Lee Ju-yeol Thursday
* Fed officials attend the Jackson Hole Economic Policy Symposium from Thursday through Saturday
* U.S. GDP, initial jobless claims Thursday
* July U.S. personal income and spending data Friday. Investors will scrutinize the personal consumption expenditures price index, an inflation measure closely watched by the Fed.

Some of the main moves in markets:
Stocks
* The S&P 500 rose 0.2% as of 4 p.m. New York time
* The Nasdaq 100 was little changed
* The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.1%
* The MSCI World index rose 0.2%

Currencies
* The Bloomberg Dollar Spot Index was little changed
* The euro rose 0.1% to $1.1771
* The British pound rose 0.2% to $1.3760
* The Japanese yen fell 0.3% to 109.99 per dollar

Bonds
* The yield on 10-year Treasuries advanced five basis points to 1.34%
* Germany’s 10-year yield advanced six basis points to -0.42%
* Britain’s 10-year yield advanced six basis points to 0.60%

Commodities
* West Texas Intermediate crude rose 1.1% to $68.30 a barrel
* Gold futures fell 0.9% to $1,792.90 an ounce
–With assistance from Robert Brand, Andreea Papuc and Kit Rees.

Have a lovely evening.

Be magnificent!

As ever,

Carolann
Inspiration is a guest that does not willingly visit the lazy. –Peter Tchaikovsky, 1840-1893.

Carolann Steinhoff, B.Sc., CFP®, CIM, CIWM
Senior Investment Advisor

Queensbury Securities Inc.,
St. Andrew’s Square,
Suite 340A, 730 View St.,
Victoria, B.C. V8W 3Y7

Tel: 778.430.5808
(C): 250.881.0801
Toll Free: 1.877.430.5895
Fax: 778.430.5828
www.carolannsteinhoff.com

August 24, 2021 Newsletter

Dear Friends,

Tangents: 79 AD: Mt. Vesuvius erupts – Pompeii destroyed.

Schäferlauf~Shepherd’s Race, Germany.

Jorge Luis Borges, writer, b. 1899.

The Pumpkin Spice Latte is back at Starbucks today.  PSL lovers, unite!  We are overcaffeinated and unashamed

Playing golf may help you live longer.  But probably only if you don’t stress about it too much

Beyoncé becomes the first Black woman to wear iconic Tiffany Diamond.  Big “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” vibes here (if Tiffany’s also housed a large Basquiat painting).

Rolling Stones drummer Charlie Watts has died. He was 80

The Late Night hosts weigh in on the vaccination approval:

Yeah, it was approved by the real F.D.A., the Food and Drug Administration, which is not to be confused with the fake F.D.A., the Facebook Doctors Association.” — JIMMY FALLON

“Approval also offers an opportunity to clear up substantial public confusion. And, look, I’ll admit, it can be confusing to follow. We all wish the F.D.A. and C.D.C. could be more like the S.C.F., which is an organization where people Speak [expletive] Clearly.” — SETH MEYERS

“Yeah, this is great news. Although, if it didn’t get approved, I’m not really sure what the options were: Pfizer store credit?” — JIMMY FALLON

“It must be weird working at the F.D.A. One day you’re approving a lifesaving vaccine, the next you’re approving new s’mores-flavored Oreos.” — JIMMY FALLON

“Exactly what paranoid anti-vaxxers have been waiting for: a stamp of approval by the federal government.” — JAMES CORDEN

“The Pfizer vaccine is now fully approved by the F.D.A., which sounds like a big deal, until you remember that so is Mountain Dew Baja Blast.” — JAMES CORDEN

“Get this: The new name of the fully approved Pfizer vaccine is Comirnaty. Comirnaty, which sounds more like a drunk person trying to say ‘community’: [imitating drunk] ‘You can’t arrest me; I’m a valued member of the comirnaty.” — JIMMY FALLON

PHOTOS OF THE DAY

A plane crosses the full Blue Sturgeon Moon seen from South Norfolk by photographer Edward Russell. A Blue Moon is a full moon which appears for the second time in the same month and is very rare. There are usually only three moons per season so this full moon is extremely rare

CREDIT: EDWARD RUSSELL/BAV MEDIA

One of two snow leopard kittens, born in  Wroclaw Zoo, Poland. The snow panther, also known as snow leopard, is a species of mammal from the subfamily panther in the (Felidae) family, found in Central Asia

CREDIT: MACIEJ KULCZYSKU/EPA-EFE/SHUTTER STOCK

Brood of black cygnets hatched in Dawlish where have been a feature since the early 20th century when the first pair were brought over from New Zealand

CREDIT: APEX

Market Closes for August 24th, 2021

Market
Index
Close Change
Dow
Jones
35366.26 +30.55
+0.09%
S&P 500 4486.23 +6.70
+0.15%
NASDAQ 15019.80 +77.15

+0.52%

TSX 20547.76 +70.50
+0.34%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

International Markets

Market
Index
Close Change
NIKKEI 27732.10 +237.86
+0.87%
HANG
SENG
25727.92 +618.33
+2.46%
SENSEX 55958.98 +403.19
+0.73%
FTSE 100* 7125.78 +16.76

+0.24%

Bonds

Bonds % Yield Previous % Yield
CND.
10 Year Bond
1.190 1.166
CND.
30 Year
Bond
1.770 1.750
U.S.   
10 Year Bond
1.2935 1.2517
U.S.
30 Year Bond
  1.9161   1.8708

Currencies

BOC Close Today Previous  
Canadian $ 0.7938 0.7904
US
$
1.2597 1.2652
Euro Rate
1 Euro=
Inverse
Canadian $ 1.4810 0.6752
US
$
1.1757 0.8506

Commodities

Gold Close Previous
London Gold
Fix
1802.00 1799.05
 
Oil
WTI Crude Future 67.67 65.81

Market Commentary:
     On this day in 1927, Harry M. Markowitz was born in Chicago, son of Morris and Mildred Markowitz, who ran a small grocery store. In 1950-1952, Mr. Markowitz devised the intricate mathematics that proved the virtue of diversification and laid the groundwork for modern portfolio theory. In 1990, he shared the Nobel Prize in Economics for his work.
Canada
By Michael Bellusci
(Bloomberg) — Canadian equities advanced for a third straight session as broader markets continued their rebound.  The S&P/TSX Composite Index rose 0.3%, with tech, health care, and energy leading the charge. Shopify rose after the New York Times reported that the e-commerce company would partner with TikTok. Meanwhile, Oil extended gains from the biggest jump in five months. Earnings at Bank of Nova Scotia and Bank of Montreal got some help from Canada’s economic reopening.

Commodities:
* Western Canadian Select crude oil traded at a $13.00 discount to West Texas Intermediate
* Spot gold fell 0.1% to $1,803.79 an ounce

FX/Bonds:
* The Canadian dollar rose 0.5% to C$1.2595 per U.S. dollar
* The 10-year Canada government bond yield rose 2.1 basis points to 1.187%

By Bloomberg Automation:
     (Bloomberg) — The S&P/TSX Composite rose for the third day, climbing 0.3 percent, or 70.5 to 20,547.76 in Toronto. The index advanced to the highest closing level since Aug. 11.Shopify Inc. contributed the most to the index gain, increasing 3.4 percent. BlackBerry Ltd. had the largest increase, rising 9.0 percent. Today, 130 of 229 shares rose, while 91 fell; 5 of 11 sectors were higher, led by information technology stocks.
Insights
* This month, the index rose 1.3 percent
* The index advanced 24 percent in the past 52 weeks. The MSCI AC Americas Index gained 32 percent in the same period
* The S&P/TSX Composite is 0.1 percent below its 52-week high on Aug. 24, 2021 and 33.3 percent above its low on Oct. 30, 2020
* The S&P/TSX Composite is up 0.9 percent in the past 5 days and rose 1.8 percent in the past 30 days
* S&P/TSX Composite is trading at a price-to-earnings ratio of 20 on a trailing basis and 16.4 times estimated earnings of its members for the coming year
* The index’s dividend yield is 2.5 percent on a trailing 12-month basis
* S&P/TSX Composite’s members have a total market capitalization of C$3.22t
* 30-day price volatility rose to 8.44 percent compared with 8.40 percent in the previous session and the average of 8.89 percent over the past month
================================================================
|Index Points | |
Sector Name | Move | % Change | Adv/Dec
================================================================
* Information Technology | 55.3860| 2.3| 9/3
* Energy | 19.3142| 0.8| 20/2
* Materials | 5.0895| 0.2| 29/20
* Consumer Discretionary | 4.1008| 0.5| 9/4
* Health Care | 3.8222| 1.6| 7/2
* Communication Services | -0.8714| -0.1| 4/3
* Real Estate | -1.1194| -0.2| 8/15
* Utilities | -2.6397| -0.3| 6/9
* Industrials | -3.8631| -0.2| 20/10
* Consumer Staples | -4.0415| -0.5| 3/10
* Financials | -4.6667| -0.1| 15/13
================================================================
| | |Volume VS |
| Index | | 20D AVG |YTD Change
Top Contributors |Points Move| % Change | (%) | (%)
================================================================
* Shopify | 49.9500| 3.4| -20.3| 35.0
* Bank of Montreal | 9.6980| 1.7| -36.5| 35.2
* Blackberry | 4.1700| 9.0| 133.0| 65.9
* Bank of Nova Scotia| -5.3280| -0.8| -4.7| 15.7
* TD Bank | -5.9630| -0.5| 12.7| 19.3
* Brookfield Asset | | | |
* Management | -6.0720| -0.9| -33.4| 34.5

US
By Vildana Hajric and Kamaron Leach
(Bloomberg) — U.S. equities rose to record highs as strong corporate earnings and a rally in commodity prices outweighed lingering concerns about the threat of Covid-19 to the global economy. The S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100 gained as Best Buy Co. became the latest U.S. retailer to report robust consumer demand while the price of oil and iron ore similarly gained on improving sentiment. Energy, consumer discretionary and materials stocks were among the best performers as investors also awaited insights from Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell’s address from Jackson Hole this week. “As long as the economic and corporate earnings environments continue to improve, the market is likely to withstand ongoing concerns about the virus and policy,” said Lauren Goodwin, economist and portfolio strategist at New York Life Investments. “That said, risks for the market are becoming more balanced as we move throughout the market cycle.” While markets started the week with a strong global rally, equities in the U.S. and Europe remain volatile on concern over the spread of the delta variant and tighter monetary policy. Economic data so far this week have painted a mixed picture, with manufacturing purchasing managers’ indexes in Europe and the U.S. showing continued growth, though slowing from last month’s levels. “How the Fed tapers is the next major variable for this market,” wrote Tom Essaye, a former Merrill Lynch trader who founded The Sevens Report newsletter. “We do not expect these specifics to be announced on Friday. They will come at the September meeting. But we do expect Powell to hint at an outcome. And given the Fed’s changes to the conference  (masks, more social distancing, Powell virtual), if there’s going to be a surprise, it’s likely dovish.”
With the Pfizer Inc. vaccine gaining full approval in the U.S. and cases falling in many of the original delta-variant hot spots, optimism is growing about the momentum of the global economic recovery, especially after strong corporate earnings. “We are starting to see a bit of decoupling between new waves of the virus and how the markets — and how the economy — reacts to it,” Dan Skelly, head of market research and strategy at Morgan Stanley Wealth Management, said in a Bloomberg TV interview. “We do expect virus concerns to subside in the coming weeks.” Stephen Dover, chief market strategist and head of Franklin Templeton Investment Institute, said “incredible” corporate earnings growth has been better than expected, which will be vital if the rally is to continue. “The U.S. just keeps continuing to outperform, to which we keep saying, how long can this go on?” Dover said. “How long does it really make sense that the U.S. still outperforms the rest of the world, at least in terms of the equity market? And the answer seems to be, well, at least a bit longer.” Earlier in the session, a rebound in Chinese tech stocks drove gains in global equities after solid results at JD.com Inc. drew in investors including Cathie Wood.  In Asia, equities in Japan and China gained while in Europe, the Stoxx Europe 600 index ended a mixed day little changed. Iron ore climbed on expectations additional support from the Chinese government will boost demand. WTI crude rallied to above $67 a barrel. Treasuries fell and the dollar was weaker.

Here are some events to watch this week:
* Bank of Korea policy decision; briefing by Governor Lee Ju-yeol Thursday
* Fed officials attend the Jackson Hole Economic Policy Symposium from Thursday through Saturday
* U.S. GDP, initial jobless claims Thursday
* July U.S. personal income and spending data Friday. Investors will scrutinize the personal consumption expenditures price index, an inflation measure closely watched by the Fed.

Some of the main moves in markets:
Stocks
* The S&P 500 rose 0.2% as of 4 p.m. New York time
* The Nasdaq 100 rose 0.3%
* The Dow Jones Industrial Average was little changed
* The MSCI World index rose 0.6%

Currencies
* The Bloomberg Dollar Spot Index fell 0.2%
* The euro rose 0.1% to $1.1757
* The British pound was little changed at $1.3732
* The Japanese yen was little changed at 109.67 per dollar

Bonds
* The yield on 10-year Treasuries advanced four basis points to 1.29%
* Germany’s 10-year yield was little changed at -0.48%
* Britain’s 10-year yield was little changed at 0.54%

Commodities
* West Texas Intermediate crude rose 3.2% to $67.72 a barrel
* Gold futures were little changed
–With assistance from Robert Brand, Andreea Papuc and Jan-Patrick Barnert.

Have a lovely evening.

Be magnificent!
As ever,

Carolann

This above all: to thine own self be true, and it must follow, as the night the day, thou canst not then be false to any man. –William Shakespeare, 1564-1616.

Carolann Steinhoff, B.Sc., CFP®, CIM, CIWM
Senior Investment Advisor

Queensbury Securities Inc.,
St. Andrew’s Square,
Suite 340A, 730 View St.,
Victoria, B.C. V8W 3Y7

Tel: 778.430.5808
(C): 250.881.0801
Toll Free: 1.877.430.5895
Fax: 778.430.5828
www.carolannsteinhoff.com

August 23, 2021 Newsletter

Dear Friends,

Tangents:
2011 Judges in New York put an end to the sensational sexual assault case against Dominique Strauss-Kahn, setting him free after prosecutors questioned the credibility of the hotel housekeeper who’d accused the French diplomat.  Go to article »

Information does, in fact, escape black holes.

Within months of the discovery of King Tutankhamun’s tomb in 1922, the man who financed its excavation — George Herbert, the fifth Earl of Carnarvon in England — became ill and dropped dead. It didn’t take long for people to question whether a “mummy’s curse” had doomed the earl.  “Pharaoh’s 3,000 year-old Curse is Seen in Illness of Carnarvons” read the headline on the front page of the March 21, 1923, edition of “The Courier Journal,” a newspaper published in Louisville, Kentucky. Is there any evidence supporting the concept of a mummy’s curse?
Full Story: LiveScience (8/23) 

Astronomers have discovered an enormous new filament of gas and dust hanging at the outer edge of our galaxy. Nicknamed “Cattail,” the feature is not yet fully mapped, and the team who found it believe it could be a previously unknown arm of our Milky Way galaxy.
The Milky way is a giant spiral galaxy, which has a central bulge surrounded by coiling arms containing stars, gas and dust. Our home galaxy has four known spiral arms — two major arms named Scutum-Centaurus and Perseus, and two minor arms squished between them named Norma and Sagittarius, according to NASA. Earth is on a branch of the Sagittarius arm named the Orion Spur.

Full Story: LiveScience (8/23)

PHOTOS OF THE DAY

Two giant eagles became embroiled in a bout of ‘air-rage’ – locking talons and appearing to ‘shout’ at each as they tussled in a mid-air scrap. Stunning snaps captured by dad-of-one Gary Jones  above a loch on the Isle of Mull in the Scottish Hebrides

CREDIT: KENNEDY NEWS/GARY JONES

A firefighter works as the Caldor Fire burns in Grizzly Flats, California

CREDIT: FRED GREAVES/REUTERS

The Coldstream Guards arrive at Buckingham Palace for the Changing of the Guard, the first time the ceremony has taken place in 18 months

CREDIT: JEFF GILBERT FOR THE TELEGRAPH

Market Closes for August 23rd, 2021

Market
Index
Close Change
Dow
Jones
35335.71 +215.63
+0.61%
S&P 500 4479.53 +37.86
+0.85%
NASDAQ 14942.65 +227.99

+1.55%

TSX 20477.26 +138.24
+0.68%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

International Markets

Market
Index
Close Change
NIKKEI 27494.24 +480.99
+1.78%
HANG
SENG
25109.59 +259.87
+1.05%
SENSEX 55555.79 +226.47
+0.41%
FTSE 100* 7109.02 +21.12

+0.30%

Bonds

Bonds % Yield Previous % Yield
CND.
10 Year Bond
1.166 1.141
CND.
30 Year
Bond
1.750 1.721
U.S.   
10 Year Bond
1.2517 1.2550
U.S.
30 Year Bond
  1.8708   1.8688

Currencies

BOC Close Today Previous  
Canadian $ 0.7904 0.7799
US
$
1.2652 1.2822
Euro Rate
1 Euro=
Inverse
Canadian $ 1.4860 0.6730
US
$
1.1745 0.8514

Commodities

Gold Close Previous
London Gold
Fix
1799.05 1782.05
 
Oil
WTI Crude Future 65.81 62.32

Market Commentary:
     On this day in 1976, Vanguard launched First Index Investment Trust, the first retail index fund, to howls of derision. As Fidelity Chairman Edward C. Johnson III said that day, “The name of the game is to do the best and I can’t conceive of investment managers not even trying to do better than average.” Today known as Vanguard 500 Index Fund, it is now the largest mutual fund in the world.
Canada
By Michael Bellusci
(Bloomberg) — Canadian stocks surged Monday, staging their  biggest rally since July 21 after last week’s volatility. The S&P/TSX Composite Index rose 0.7%. Healthcare led as Trillium Therapeutics surged the most on record, following Pfizer’s purchase of the cancer drugmaker. Materials and energy also gained along with higher commodity prices. Gold rose to the highest in more than two weeks as the dollar weakened amid speculation that the Federal Reserve may delay scaling back its asset-purchase program. Canadian banks are slated to report earnings this week as seven of the eight largest firms release quarterly results starting Tuesday.

Commodities:
* Western Canadian Select crude oil traded at a $12.90 discount to West Texas Intermediate
* Spot gold rose 1.3% to $1,804.26 an ounce

FX/Bonds:
* The Canadian dollar rose 1.3% to C$1.2653 per U.S. dollar
* The 10-year Canada government bond yield rose 2.3 basis points to 1.165%

By Bloomberg Automation:
     (Bloomberg) — The S&P/TSX Composite rose for the second day, climbing 0.7 percent, or 138.24 to 20,477.26 in Toronto. The move was the biggest since rising 0.8 percent on July 21. Today, materials stocks led the market higher, as 7 of 11 sectors gained; 161 of 229 shares rose, while 64 fell. Shopify Inc. contributed the most to the index gain, increasing 0.8 percent. Trillium Therapeutics Inc. had the largest increase, rising 184.5 percent.
Insights
* This month, the index rose 0.9 percent
* The index advanced 24 percent in the past 52 weeks. The MSCI AC Americas Index gained 32 percent in the same period
* The S&P/TSX Composite is 0.4 percent below its 52-week high on Aug. 13, 2021 and 32.8 percent above its low on Oct. 30, 2020
* The S&P/TSX Composite is little changed in the past 5 days and rose 1.4 percent in the past 30 days
* S&P/TSX Composite is trading at a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.9 on a trailing basis and 16.3 times estimated earnings of its members for the coming year
* The index’s dividend yield is 2.5 percent on a trailing 12-month basis
* S&P/TSX Composite’s members have a total market capitalization of C$3.2t
* 30-day price volatility rose to 8.40 percent compared with 8.18 percent in the previous session and the average of 8.93 percent over the past month
================================================================
|Index Points | |
Sector Name | Move | % Change | Adv/Dec
================================================================
* Materials | 64.1246| 2.9| 49/3
* Energy | 46.8844| 2.0| 23/0
* Information Technology | 19.0633| 0.8| 10/2
* Health Care | 11.7865| 5.3| 8/1
* Financials | 5.3928| 0.1| 17/10
* Consumer Discretionary | 0.3048| 0.0| 10/3
* Industrials | 0.0403| 0.0| 21/9
* Real Estate | -1.9135| -0.3| 8/15
* Communication Services | -2.1649| -0.2| 3/4
* Utilities | -2.6144| -0.3| 5/11
* Consumer Staples | -2.6334| -0.3| 7/6
================================================================
| | |Volume VS |
| Index | | 20D AVG |YTD Change
Top Contributors |Points Move| % Change | (%) | (%)
================================================================
* Shopify | 11.3000| 0.8| -59.7| 30.5
* Barrick Gold | 10.6600| 3.5| 42.2| -11.6
* Canadian Natural | | | |
* Resources | 9.9170| 3.0| 41.5| 33.0
* Intact Financial | -2.7020| -1.4| 1.2| 15.9
* Waste Connections | -5.7040| -1.9| 84.1| 23.3
* Brookfield Asset | | | |
* Management | -5.7680| -0.8| -24.1| 35.6

US
By Jennifer Bissell-Linsk and Vildana Hajric
(Bloomberg) — U.S. equities rose Monday as the Covid-19 immunization drive was bolstered by U.S. regulators granting full approval for the vaccine made by Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech SE. The S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100 rebounded from lows last week as the approval could lead to more vaccine mandates amid a surge in delta variant cases that has threatened the momentum of the global economic recovery. Mixed U.S. data Monday showed July home sales coming in higher than expected while growth at U.S. services and factories slowed to an eight-month low. Energy shares led the gains as oil rose above $65 a barrel in New York on improving sentiment. Treasuries were little changed and the dollar was weaker as investors also looked ahead to the Jackson Hole symposium Thursday, which may offer insights into how and when the Federal Reserve plans to taper its asset-purchase program. The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite closed at a record. “Amid another record high last Monday it’s remarkable that we’re looking to start the week yet again on the upside,” said Chris Larkin, managing director of trading at E*TRADE Financial. “The gains last week couldn’t make up for the losses following the Fed confirming its intentions to taper its purchasing program.
All eyes will remain on the Fed as investors will be looking for more guidance on the taper from Powell’s speech at Jackson Hole.” If the delta strain persists, Dallas Fed President Robert Kaplan said he’s open to adjusting his view that the Fed should start tapering sooner rather than later. Meanwhile, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen endorsed Jerome Powell for a second term as Fed chair, a move that could reduce uncertainty about the path for monetary policy. “Solid economic and corporate profit growth, in conjunction with a still accommodative Fed, means that the environment for stocks remains favorable,” said David Lefkowitz, head of equities Americas at UBS Global Wealth Management. “As a result of our higher EPS estimates, we raise our targets for the S&P 500 for December 2021 by 100 points to 4,600 and June 2022 by 150 points to 4,800.” Aside from Fed comments, traders will be looking for the latest U.S. data on manufacturing, gross domestic product and jobs this week. The U.S. House of Representatives will also be holding key votes related to President Joe Biden’s $4.1 trillion economic agenda. In Europe, the Stoxx Europe 600 index increased for a second day.  In Asia, equities in China and Japan also gained.
China has once again brought local Covid-19 cases down to zero.

Here are some events to watch this week:
* U.S. Markit manufacturing PMI and existing home sales Monday
* Bank of Korea policy decision; briefing by Governor Lee Ju-yeol Thursday
* Fed officials attend the Jackson Hole Economic Policy Symposium from Thursday through Saturday
* U.S. GDP, initial jobless claims Thursday
* July U.S. personal income and spending data Friday. Investors will scrutinize the personal consumption expenditures price index, an inflation measure closely watched by the Fed.

Some of the main moves in markets:
Stocks
* The S&P 500 rose 0.9% as of 4:01 p.m. New York time
* The Nasdaq 100 rose 1.5%
* The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.6%
* The MSCI World index rose 1.1%

Currencies
* The Bloomberg Dollar Spot Index fell 0.5%
* The euro rose 0.4% to $1.1748
* The British pound rose 0.8% to $1.3731
* The Japanese yen rose 0.1% to 109.67 per dollar

Bonds
* The yield on 10-year Treasuries was little changed at 1.25%
* Germany’s 10-year yield advanced one basis point to -0.48%
* Britain’s 10-year yield advanced one basis point to 0.53%

Commodities
* West Texas Intermediate crude rose 5.3% to $65.44 a barrel
* Gold futures rose 1.3% to $1,807.40 an ounce
–With assistance from Robert Brand, Nancy Moran and Andreea Papuc.

Have a lovely evening.

Be magnificent!

As ever,

Carolann

Better a little which is well done, than a great deal imperfectly. -Plato, c.428 BCE-c.348 BCE.

Carolann Steinhoff, B.Sc., CFP®, CIM, CIWM
Senior Investment Advisor

Queensbury Securities Inc.,
St. Andrew’s Square,
Suite 340A, 730 View St.,
Victoria, B.C. V8W 3Y7

Tel: 778.430.5808
(C): 250.881.0801
Toll Free: 1.877.430.5895
Fax: 778.430.5828
www.carolannsteinhoff.com

August 20, 2021 Newsletter

Dear Friends,

Tangents:  Happy Friday.

St. Stephen’s Day, Hungary.

August 20, 1998~Retaliating for deadly embassy bombings in East Africa, the United States launched cruise missile strikes against al-Qaida training camps in Afghanistan and what was described as a chemical plant in Sudan.  Go to article »
1942~Plutonium first weighed.

Tesla plans to build robots

City life is making animals fatter. (Same.) (h/t Ellen Kominers)

It rained on the summit of the Greenland ice sheet for the first time.

Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos are arguing over the moon already.  Mom, the billionaires are fighting again!” 

PHOTOS OF THE DAY

The World’s Best Self Portraits- A self portrait of Paul Zizka at the Greenland Ice Sheet

CREDIT: PAUL ZIZKA / CATERS NEWS AGENCY

Fargradalsfjall volcano spews molten lava near Grindavik, Iceland

CREDIT: SEAN HALLUP/GETTY IMAGES

Magic Mountain by Craig Bill, the Shiprock formation right outside Shiprock, New Mexico, wins platinum in the Long Exposure Photography/Professional category 


Two year old Eva Genuardi pictured enjoying the colourful 25 acre British lavender at Mayfield Lavender Farm in Banstead, Surrey as wet weather is expected over the weekend

CREDIT: OLIVER DIXON

Market Closes for August 20th, 2021

Market
Index
Close Change
Dow
Jones
35120.08 +225.96
+0.65%
S&P 500 4441.67 +35.87
+0.81%
NASDAQ 14714.66 +172.87

+1.19%

TSX 20339.02 +123.66
+0.61%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

International Markets

Market
Index
Close Change
NIKKEI 27013.25 -267.92
-0.98%
HANG
SENG
24849.72 -466.61
-1.84%
SENSEX 55329.32 -300.17
-0.54%
FTSE 100* 7087.90 +29.04

+0.41%

Bonds

Bonds % Yield Previous % Yield
CND.
10 Year Bond
1.141 1.129
CND.
30 Year
Bond
1.721 1.713
U.S.   
10 Year Bond
1.2550 1.2433
U.S.
30 Year Bond
  1.8688   1.8709

Currencies

BOC Close Today Previous  
Canadian $ 0.7799 0.7797
US
$
1.2822 1.2825
Euro Rate
1 Euro=
Inverse
Canadian $ 1.5001 0.6666
US
$
1.1699 0.8547

Commodities

Gold Close Previous
London Gold
Fix
1782.05 1783.45
 
Oil
WTI Crude Future 62.32 63.69

Market Commentary:
     On this day in 1932, Franklin Delano Roosevelt kicked off his presidential campaign with a fiery speech in Columbus, Ohio, putting forth a nine-point plan for economic recovery. Among his proposals: reforms of Wall Street underwriting and trading practices, increased regulation of commercial banks, a more aggressive role for the Federal Reserve and a crackdown on utility companies. 
Canada
By Bloomberg Automation:
     (Bloomberg) — The S&P/TSX Composite rose 0.6 percent at 20,339.02 in Toronto. The move was the biggest since rising 0.8 percent on July 21 and follows the previous session’s decrease of 0.4 percent. Today, financials stocks led the market higher, as all sectors gained; 169 of 229 shares rose, while 56 fell.New Gold Inc. had the largest increase, rising 5.3 percent.

Insights
* This month, the index rose 0.3 percent
* So far this week, the index fell 0.9 percent, heading for the biggest decline since the week ended July 16
* The index advanced 22 percent in the past 52 weeks. The MSCI AC Americas Index gained 32 percent in the same period

* The S&P/TSX Composite is 1.1 percent below its 52-week high on Aug. 13, 2021 and 31.9 percent above its low on Oct. 30, 2020
* S&P/TSX Composite is trading at a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.8 on a trailing basis and 16.2 times estimated earnings of its members for the coming year
* The index’s dividend yield is 2.5 percent on a trailing 12-month basis
* S&P/TSX Composite’s members have a total market capitalization of C$3.18t
* 30-day price volatility fell to 8.18 percent compared with 8.49 percent in the previous session and the average of 9.00 percent over the past month
================================================================
|Index Points | |
Sector Name | Move | % Change | Adv/Dec
================================================================
* Financials | 56.9997| 0.9| 24/4
* Energy | 17.5656| 0.7| 18/5
* Materials | 7.9756| 0.4| 30/20
* Utilities | 7.8370| 0.8| 13/2
* Industrials | 7.7769| 0.3| 20/10
* Real Estate | 6.5918| 1.1| 23/2
* Communication Services | 6.5653| 0.7| 7/0
* Consumer Discretionary | 5.4356| 0.7| 9/4
* Consumer Staples | 3.1741| 0.4| 7/6
* Information Technology | 2.0428| 0.1| 11/1
* Health Care | 1.6876| 0.8| 7/2
================================================================
| | |Volume VS| YTD
|Index Points| | 20D AVG | Change
Top Contributors | Move |% Change | (%) | (%)
================================================================
* Brookfield Asset | | | |
* Management | 13.7600| 1.9| -35.0| 36.7
* Royal Bank of Canada | 13.6000| 1.1| -43.5| 25.9
* Enbridge | 9.5970| 1.4| -60.8| 19.3
* Franco-Nevada | -2.6620| -1.1| 2.1| 13.5
* Canadian National | -3.5570| -0.5| -37.7| -2.9
* Shopify | -15.0600| -1.0| -28.2| 29.5

US
By Rita Nazareth
(Bloomberg) — Stocks climbed as dip buyers resurfaced at the end of a week marked by a surge in global volatility. All major groups in the S&P 500 advanced, while the NYSE FANG+ Index of giants such as Apple Inc. and Facebook Inc. halted a five-day slide. Chinese shares listed in the U.S. rallied Friday, but still suffered their longest streak of weekly losses in a decade. Both the dollar and Treasuries were little changed. Financial markets were rattled this week by speculation the global recovery could lose momentum just as central banks get ready to reduce support measures. Dallas Federal Reserve President Robert Kaplan said he’s open to adjusting his view that the Fed should start tapering its asset-purchase program sooner rather than later if the delta variant persists and hurts economic progress. While risks to the economy are mounting, money managers in search of returns are sticking to equities. U.S. stock-fund data collected before the Fed signaled it could potentially start tapering this year showed investors have confidence in policy support to buy the dip, according to Bank of America Corp. strategists. “While investors have understandably been worrying about the Federal Reserve’s potential tapering plans, against the backdrop of persistent Covid-19 cases, we believe the Fed is unlikely to announce tapering plans until case counts fall back to early-summer levels,” said Rod von Lipsey, managing director at UBS Private Wealth Management. Traders are eagerly awaiting the Aug. 26-28 Jackson Hole symposium, which may offer clues on the central bank’s timeline for tapering stimulus. The topic of this year’s event is “Macroeconomic Policy in an Uneven Economy.” 

Some corporate highlights:
* Cryptocurrency-exposed companies Coinbase Global Inc. and Riot Blockchain Inc. joined a rally in Bitcoin.
* Deere & Co., the largest maker of agricultural machinery, dropped amid concerns that rising costs and supply-chain snags will intensify going into next year.

Some of the main moves in markets:
Stocks
* The S&P 500 rose 0.8% as of 4 p.m. New York time
* The Nasdaq 100 rose 1.1%
* The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.6%
* The MSCI World index rose 0.4%

Currencies
* The Bloomberg Dollar Spot Index was little changed
* The euro rose 0.2% to $1.1701
* The British pound fell 0.1% to $1.3625
* The Japanese yen was little changed at 109.78 per dollar

Bonds
* The yield on 10-year Treasuries was little changed at 1.25%
* Germany’s 10-year yield was little changed at -0.49%
* Britain’s 10-year yield declined two basis points to 0.52%

Commodities
* West Texas Intermediate crude fell 2.2% to $62.32 a barrel
* Gold futures were little changed
–With assistance from Sunil Jagtiani, Srinivasan Sivabalan, Vildana Hajric and Heather Burke.

Have a wonderful weekend everyone.

Be magnificent!

As ever,

Carolann

All the lessons of history in four sentences:
Whom the gods destroy, they first make mad with power.
The mills of God grind slowly, yet they grind exceedingly small.
The bee fertilizes the flower it robs.
When it is dark enough, you can see all the stars. –Charles Beard, 1874-1948.

Carolann Steinhoff, B.Sc., CFP®, CIM, CIWM
Senior Investment Advisor

Queensbury Securities Inc.,
St. Andrew’s Square,
Suite 340A, 730 View St.,
Victoria, B.C. V8W 3Y7

Tel: 778.430.5808
(C): 250.881.0801
Toll Free: 1.877.430.5895
Fax: 778.430.5828
www.carolannsteinhoff.com

August 19, 2021 Newsletter

Dear Friends,

Tangents:
2004 The Internet search engine Google went public.  Go to article »

Orville Wright, aviator, b. 1871.
Coco Chanel, designer, b. 1883
Ogden Nash, poet, b. 1902.
Bill Clinton, 42nd president, b. 1946.

Chameleon robot changes colors to blend with surroundings, infest your dreams. (h/t Scott Kominers)

Old and busted: pet rocks. New hotness: $300,000 NFT pet rocks

PHOTOS OF THE DAY


Atmospheric.. Stonehenge illuminated by the Milky Way. Sam Binding, visited Stonehenge with the goal of capturing the Milky Way behind the famous landmark. The pictures show Stonehenge glowing as light floods down from the Milky Way with hundreds of stars in the background

CREDIT: SAMBINING / CATERS NEWS

Bathed in light.. Huangguoshu Waterfall is seen during a 3D projection light show in Anshun, Guizhou Province of China

CREDIT: QU HONGLUN/CHINA NEWS SERVICE VIA GETTY IMAGES

Time warp.. Stormtrooper from Star Wars promoting a free programme of cinema classics, Film Fest in the City, at Edinburgh including the Wizard of Oz and Star Wars

CREDIT: RICH DYSON / ALAMY LIVE NEWS

Into the lions den.. Visitors are able to safely interact with the lions while inside the photography cube. A lion sanctuary has come up with a new way to get up close and personal with the big cats by placing the visitors in a cage in Harrismith South Africa

CREDIT: GGCONSERCATION / CATERS NEWS

Market Closes for August 19th, 2021

Market
Index
Close Change
Dow
Jones
34894.12 -66.57
-0.19%
S&P 500 4405.80 +5.53
+0.13%
NASDAQ 14541.97 +15.88

+0.11%

TSX 20215.36 -86.75
-0.43%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

International Markets

Market
Index
Close Change
NIKKEI 27281.17 -304.74
-1.10%
HANG
SENG
25316.33 -550.68
-2.13%
SENSEX 55629.49 -162.78
-0.29%
FTSE 100* 7058.86 -110.46

-1.54%

Bonds

Bonds % Yield Previous % Yield
CND.
10 Year Bond
1.129 1.155
CND.
30 Year
Bond
1.713 1.736
U.S.   
10 Year Bond
1.2433 1.2583
U.S.
30 Year Bond
  1.8709 1.8972

Currencies

BOC Close Today Previous  
Canadian $ 0.7797 0.7898
US
$
1.2825 1.2661
Euro Rate
1 Euro=
Inverse
Canadian $ 1.4977 0.6677
US
$
1.1677 0.8564

Commodities

Gold Close Previous
London Gold
Fix
1783.45 1789.45
 
Oil
WTI Crude Future 63.69 65.46

Market Commentary:
     On this day in 1883, Jeanne Gabrielle Chanel was born in Saumur, France, the illegitimate daughter of Albert Chanel, an itinerant peddler, and Jeanne Devolle. Later known as “Coco,” Chanel overcame her shabby past and became the most elegant and powerful force in the world’s fashion industry.
Canada
By Aoyon Ashraf
(Bloomberg) — The selloff in commodities pushed Canadian stocks lower, leading to a slump on the benchmark gauge for a sixth day. The S&P/TSX Composite Index fell 0.4%, reaching its lowest level since July 27. Materials were the worst performers, as commodity prices fell on speculation that economic growth will slow a rebound in demand for raw materials. Metals, agriculture and oil all fell. The worst performers on the TSX included mining companies like Labrador Iron Ore Royalty, Stelco Holdings, Lundin Mining and Teck Resources. The healthcare, consumer discretionary and energy sub-gauges also fell by more than 1% each. In economic news, the nation’s housing market appears to be moderating after a pandemic boom but Canadians are still piling into mortgages at more than double the historical pace.

Commodities:
* Western Canadian Select crude oil traded at a $12.75 discount to West Texas Intermediate
* Spot gold was fell 0.4% to $1,781.13 an ounce

FX/Bonds:
* The Canadian dollar fell 1.3% to C$1.2822 per U.S. dollar
* The 10-year Canada government bond yield fell to 1.128%

By Bloomberg Automation:
     (Bloomberg) — The S&P/TSX Composite fell for the sixth day, dropping 0.4 percent, or 86.75 to 20,215.36 in Toronto. The index dropped to the lowest closing level since July 27. Nutrien Ltd. contributed the most to the index decline, decreasing 2.4 percent. Labrador Iron Ore Royalty Corp. had the largest drop, falling 9.8 percent. Today, 155 of 229 shares fell, while 70 rose; 7 of 11 sectors were lower, led by materials stocks.
Insights
* So far this week, the index fell 1.5 percent, heading for the biggest decline since the week ended Feb. 26
* The index advanced 22 percent in the past 52 weeks. The MSCI AC Americas Index gained 31 percent in the same period
* The S&P/TSX Composite is 1.7 percent below its 52-week high on Aug. 13, 2021 and 31.1 percent above its low on Oct. 30, 2020
* The S&P/TSX Composite is down 1.5 percent in the past 5 days and rose 2.5 percent in the past 30 days
* S&P/TSX Composite is trading at a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.6 on a trailing basis and 16.1 times estimated earnings of its members for the coming year
* The index’s dividend yield is 2.6 percent on a trailing 12-month basis
* S&P/TSX Composite’s members have a total market capitalization of C$3.19t
* 30-day price volatility fell to 8.49 percent compared with 9.09 percent in the previous session and the average of 9.01 percent over the past month
================================================================
| Index Points | |
Sector Name | Move | % Change | Adv/Dec
================================================================
* Materials | -42.2901| -1.9| 5/46
* Energy | -30.3646| -1.3| 2/21
* Financials | -28.9283| -0.4| 7/21
* Consumer Discretionary | -12.2896| -1.6| 3/10
* Health Care | -3.7589| -1.7| 2/7
* Real Estate | -2.5487| -0.4| 8/17
* Information Technology | -0.4549| 0.0| 8/4
* Communication Services | 2.8455| 0.3| 5/2
* Utilities | 3.8477| 0.4| 8/7
* Consumer Staples | 4.4280| 0.6| 9/3
* Industrials | 22.7618| 1.0| 13/17
================================================================
| | |Volume VS |
| Index | | 20D AVG |YTD Change
Top Contributors |Points Move| % Change | (%) | (%)
================================================================
* Nutrien | -7.3900| -2.4| 9.0| 21.6
* Teck Resources | -6.6270| -7.4| 128.0| 10.0
* Bank of Nova Scotia| -6.4260| -1.0| 26.8| 15.7
* Canadian Pacific | 4.8300| 1.2| -9.4| 2.8
* Waste Connections | 6.0850| 2.1| 11.9| 24.4
* Canadian National | 10.3700| 1.6| 31.9| -2.4

US
By Rita Nazareth and Vildana Hajric
(Bloomberg) — Stock trading was volatile ahead of Friday’s options expiration. Treasuries rose alongside the dollar.
Commodities sank. The S&P 500 edged higher, while the Cboe Volatility Index was on track for its biggest weekly surge since January.  An earlier equity slide was driven by anxiety over the withdrawal of Federal Reserve stimulus, the virus spread and global supply chains. Metals prices slumped as part of a selloff that extended to agriculture, oil and natural gas. Equities have struggled to sustain momentum after hitting another all-time high earlier in the week. Investors are bracing for the withdrawal of unprecedented liquidity as the developed world looks to mass vaccinations to keep the recovery on track.
However, the persistent spread of coronavirus and slowing China growth raise questions about whether the global economy can absorb the winding down of stimulus. That’s pushing traders to buy protection against stock swings. “This week’s options expiration is likely amplifying the volatility,” wrote Tom Essaye, a former Merrill Lynch trader who founded “The Sevens Report” newsletter. “This market remains complacent and vulnerable to ‘air pockets.’” Covid-19 patients are dying in U.S. hospitals at levels not seen since February — and the numbers could worsen as intensive-care units overflow in parts of the South.  Three American senators tested positive despite being vaccinated, bringing to at least six the number of members of Congress to report recent infections. Nvidia Corp., the largest U.S. chipmaker by market value, rallied after reporting a surge in earnings and giving predictions that exceeded even rosy Wall Street estimates. Robinhood Markets Inc. sank after warning cryptocurrency-driven trading that fueled quarterly revenue may quickly fade. Chinese stocks listed in the U.S. endured another day of selling after officials unleashed a fresh round of proposed regulations. Tencent Holdings Ltd. and Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. each tumbled more than 6%.

Stocks
* The S&P 500 rose 0.1% as of 4 p.m. New York time
* The Nasdaq 100 rose 0.5%
* The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.2%
* The MSCI World index fell 0.7%

Currencies
* The Bloomberg Dollar Spot Index rose 0.5%
* The euro fell 0.3% to $1.1676
* The British pound fell 0.9% to $1.3635
* The Japanese yen was little changed at 109.79 per dollar

Bonds
* The yield on 10-year Treasuries declined two basis points to 1.24%
* Germany’s 10-year yield was little changed at -0.49%
* Britain’s 10-year yield declined three basis points to 0.54%

Commodities
* West Texas Intermediate crude fell 2.2% to $64.02 a barrel
* Gold futures were little changed
–With assistance from Andreea Papuc, Srinivasan Sivabalan, Kamaron Leach and Natalia Kniazhevich.

Have a lovely evening.

Be magnificent!

As ever,

Carolann

Everything that has a beginning has an ending.  Make your peace with that and all will be well. -Buddha, c. 6th– 4th century BCE.

Carolann Steinhoff, B.Sc., CFP®, CIM, CIWM
Senior Investment Advisor

Queensbury Securities Inc.,
St. Andrew’s Square,
Suite 340A, 730 View St.,
Victoria, B.C. V8W 3Y7

Tel: 778.430.5808
(C): 250.881.0801
Toll Free: 1.877.430.5895
Fax: 778.430.5828
www.carolannsteinhoff.com

August 18, 2021 Newsletter

Dear Friends,

Tangents:
August 18, 1991~ Soviet hard-liners launched a coup aimed at toppling President Mikhail S. Gorbachev, who was vacationing in the Crimea.  Go to article »
1872~ First mail-order catalogue published.
1960~First birth control pills sold.

1920: Women’s right to vote; 19th Amendment ratified.
Robert Redford, actor, b.1937.
Rosalynn Carter, 1st lady, b. 1927.

Scientists put human genes in plants to make them bigger.

San Francisco has an LSD museum. (h/t Scott Kominers)

Scientists make “mini brains” in petri dishes grow “eyes.” The mouths to scream will come later.

1800s astronomical drawings vs. NASA images.

from The Late Night Hosts:
“Yep, Biden will be making the booster shot announcement as part of his Operation: Change the Subject.” — JIMMY FALLON

“The first people to get boosters will likely be nursing home residents and health care workers, who could get the jab as early as mid-September. So these are autumn shots. The options will be Moderna, Pfizer or pumpkin spice.” — STEPHEN COLBERT

“We’re going to get a third shot, OK? So, somehow, they’re going to have to make the vaccination card even bigger. It fits in most midsize sedans.” — STEPHEN COLBERT

“Honestly, they should just send booster shots to your house like a cheese of the month club like, ‘Oh, honey, look — this month it is AstraZeneca. How exotic!’” — JIMMY FALLON

“America can’t even agree on the first shots. We’re like a giant family dinner where half the table wants pizza and the other half wants to die of Covid.” — JULIE BOWEN, guest host of “Jimmy Kimmel Live”

PHOTOS OF THE DAY


Riot of colour.. Horticulturalist Georgia Palmer tends to the stunning Mixed Borders which have burst into bloom at RHS Garden Wisley this morning

CREDIT: OLIVER DIXON

Embers fly from burning trees as the Caldor Fire grows on Mormom Emigrant Trail in California, USA

CREDIT: ETHAN SWOPE/AP

The peleton passes through a sunflower field in Molina de Aragon during the 76th Tour of Spain 

CREDIT: GONZALO ARROYO MORENO/GETTY IMAHES

Ticket to ride.. surprising moment a crow took a ride on the back of a hawk during a strategic attack in Valrico Florida

CREDIT: MEDIADRUMWORLD.COM/@RKOTINSKY

Market Closes for August 18th, 2021

Market
Index
Close Change
Dow
Jones
34960.69 -382.59
-1.08%
S&P 500 4400.27 -47.81
-1.07%
NASDAQ 14525.91 -130.27

-0.89%

TSX 20302.11 -61.48
-0.30%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

International Markets

Market
Index
Close Change
NIKKEI 27585.91 +161.44
+0.59%
HANG
SENG
25867.01 +121.14
+0.47%
SENSEX 55629.49 -162.78
-0.29%
FTSE 100* 7169.32 -11.79

-0.16%

Bonds

Bonds % Yield Previous % Yield
CND.
10 Year Bond
1.155 1.154
CND.
30 Year
Bond
1.736 1.744
U.S.   
10 Year Bond
1.2583 1.2617
U.S.
30 Year Bond
1.8972  1.9189

Currencies

BOC Close Today Previous  
Canadian $ 0.7898 0.7955
US
$
1.2661 1.2571
Euro Rate
1 Euro=
Inverse
Canadian $ 1.4828 0.6744
US
$
1.1712 0.8538

Commodities

Gold Close Previous
London Gold
Fix
1789.45 1786.35
 
Oil
WTI Crude Future 65.46 66.59

Market Commentary:
     On this day in 1982, as a bull market suddenly materialized out of nowhere, daily trading volume on the New York Stock Exchange exceeded 100 million shares for the first time, with 132,681,120 shares changing hands.
Canada
By Aoyon Ashraf
(Bloomberg) — Canadian shares fell on Wednesday as the nation’s inflation picked up speed last month to the highest level in almost 20 years and U.S. Federal Reserve officials agreed they could start reducing the pace of their bond-buying purchases.  The S&P/TSX Composite index extended its decline into fifth day, falling 0.3% in Toronto, posting longest losing streak since Feb. 2020. Materials and energy stocks were the worst performers as prices for most metals and oil were down. Health care and tech stocks were the best performers on Wednesday. Meanwhile, Manulife Financial said it will expand operations in China as the Canadian insurer seeks to capture increasing demand from the world’s second-largest economy as it
prepares for virus restrictions to ease.

Commodities:
* Western Canadian Select crude oil traded at a $12.80 discount to West Texas Intermediate
* Spot gold was flat around $1,786.86 an ounce FX/Bonds:
* The Canadian dollar fell 0.2% to C$1.2648 per U.S. dollar
* The 10-year Canada government bond yield was mostly flat around 1.162%

By Bloomberg Automation:
     (Bloomberg) — The S&P/TSX Composite fell for the fifth day, dropping 0.3 percent, or 61.48 to 20,302.11 in Toronto. The index dropped to the lowest closing level since July 30. Franco-Nevada Corp. contributed the most to the index decline, decreasing 3.4 percent. First Quantum Minerals Ltd. had the largest drop, falling 3.8 percent.
Today, 138 of 229 shares fell, while 89 rose; 7 of 11 sectors were lower, led by materials stocks.

Insights
* The index advanced 22 percent in the past 52 weeks. The MSCI AC Americas Index gained 30 percent in the same period
* The S&P/TSX Composite is 1.3 percent below its 52-week high on Aug. 13, 2021 and 31.7 percent above its low on Oct. 30, 2020
* The S&P/TSX Composite is down 1.2 percent in the past 5 days and rose 1.6 percent in the past 30 days
* S&P/TSX Composite is trading at a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.7 on a trailing basis and 16.2 times estimated earnings of its members for the coming year * The index’s dividend yield is 2.6 percent on a trailing 12-month basis
* S&P/TSX Composite’s members have a total market capitalization of C$3.2t
* 30-day price volatility rose to 9.09 percent compared with 9.04 percent in the previous session and the average of 9.03 percent over the past month
================================================================
| Index Points | |
Sector Name | Move | % Change | Adv/Dec
================================================================
* Materials | -39.9025| -1.7| 11/42
* Energy | -35.7807| -1.5| 4/18
* Utilities | -5.5931| -0.6| 3/13
* Communication Services | -3.0365| -0.3| 3/4
* Consumer Staples | -1.8849| -0.2| 2/11
* Real Estate | -1.1501| -0.2| 11/14
* Industrials | -0.9586| 0.0| 20/10
* Consumer Discretionary | 0.4790| 0.1| 7/6
* Health Care | 2.4560| 1.1| 4/4
* Financials | 7.9756| 0.1| 15/13
* Information Technology | 15.9210| 0.7| 9/3
================================================================
| | |Volume VS | YTD
| Index | | 20D AVG | Change
Top Contributors |Points Move| % Change | (%) | (%)
================================================================
* Franco-Nevada | -8.7040| -3.4| 65.4| 16.3
* Barrick Gold | -7.4350| -2.4| 49.7| -14.7
* Enbridge | -7.3390| -1.1| -33.3| 18.7
* Canadian National | 3.6060| 0.6| -10.3| -3.9
* Brookfield Asset | | | |
* Management | 7.5880| 1.1| -39.2| 35.1
* Shopify | 12.5100| 0.9| -42.5| 31.3

US
By Rita Nazareth and Lu Wang
(Bloomberg) — Stocks fell after the Federal Reserve signaled that a decision on a reduction of its massive bond-buying program could happen in 2021. Treasuries and the dollar were little changed. The S&P 500 extended losses into a second day after minutes of the Fed’s July gathering showed that most officials agreed they could start tapering this year as they had hit their inflation goal and were closer to reaching their standard for progress on reducing unemployment. “The minutes reflect a Fed that is prepared to accelerate its taper timeline to perhaps the next few months,” said Sean Bandazian, an investment analyst at Cornerstone Wealth. “There is still reason to believe we will see volatility throughout areas of the market with high sensitivity to interest rates.”
Earlier Wednesday, St. Louis Fed President James Bullard said he would like to see the tapering of the asset-purchase program done by the first quarter of 2022. Several other officials, including Robert Kaplan of Dallas and Esther George of Kansas City, have urged the central bank to begin removing stimulus as soon as the September meeting. Chair Jerome Powell and Vice Chairman Richard Clarida have suggested they would like to see further progress before considering a move to taper. Among the corporate highlights, Target Corp. slipped after the retailer’s sales growth slowed in the second quarter, hinting that the heightened consumer demand ushered in by the pandemic may be waning. Lowe’s Cos. jumped as the home-improvement giant raised its full-year forecast. Elsewhere, oil dropped below $65 a barrel for the first time since May 24 as new waves of Covid-19 threatened fuel demand.

More comments:
* “Fed tapering is clearly in training camp mode, with Jackson Hole likely being a preseason game, and either the September or most likely the November FOMC meeting being the time to announce how they will pullback stimulus,” wrote Edward Moya, senior market analyst at Oanda.
* “It’s clear from the minutes that the Fed isn’t ready to start tapering yet, but they are leaning towards making an announcement by the end of the year at the latest,” said Chris Zaccarelli, chief investment officer at Independent Advisor Alliance.
* “While the Fed minutes reveal more conviction in terms of starting to taper this year, they made the bold point that there’s no connection between tapering and rate hikes,” wrote Mike Loewengart,  managing director of investment strategy at E*Trade Financial.

Here are some events to watch this week:
* Bank Indonesia rate decision and Governor Perry Warjiyo briefing Thursday
* U.S. initial jobless claims, leading index Thursday

Some of the main moves in markets:
Stocks
* The S&P 500 fell 1.1% as of 4 p.m. New York time
* The Nasdaq 100 fell 1%
* The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 1.1%
* The MSCI World index fell 0.6%

Currencies
* The Bloomberg Dollar Spot Index was little changed
* The euro was little changed at $1.1713
* The British pound rose 0.1% to $1.3758
* The Japanese yen fell 0.2% to 109.78 per dollar

Bonds
* The yield on 10-year Treasuries advanced one basis point to 1.27%
* Germany’s 10-year yield declined one basis point to -0.48%
* Britain’s 10-year yield was little changed at 0.57%

Commodities
* West Texas Intermediate crude fell 2.5% to $64.90 a barrel
* Gold futures were little changed
–With assistance from Andreea Papuc, Srinivasan Sivabalan, Jan-Patrick Barnert, Vildana Hajric, Kamaron Leach and Elaine Chen.

Have a lovely evening.

Be magnificent!

As ever,

Carolann

Beware lest you lose the substance by grasping at the shadow. –Aesop, c. 620 BCE-564 BCE.

Carolann Steinhoff, B.Sc., CFP®, CIM, CIWM
Senior Investment Advisor

Queensbury Securities Inc.,
St. Andrew’s Square,
Suite 340A, 730 View St.,
Victoria, B.C. V8W 3Y7

Tel: 778.430.5808
(C): 250.881.0801
Toll Free: 1.877.430.5895
Fax: 778.430.5828
www.carolannsteinhoff.com