Category: Events

Dear Friends,

Tangents:
Today is Earth Day est. 1970.

Try CNN’s Earth Day Quiz:
Special Earth Day edition

How old is the Earth?
A. 4.5 billion years
B. 1.2 trillion years
C. 624 million years
D. 8.4 billion years
Play CNN’s special Earth Day quiz to see if your answer is correct.

And from The New York Times:

Around the world, at least a billion people are expected to participate in garbage cleanups, tree planting or other environmental activities.

The day has been celebrated since 1970 as pollution became more evident — and as space exploration made clear that our planet is finite.

One powerful factor was “Earthrise,” a photograph taken by the Apollo 8 astronaut William Anders in December 1968. He realized that only color film would do the image justice, and scrambled to load his Hasselblad camera before the moment passed.

The fragile blue marble we call home. William A. Anders/NASA Photography, along with spacewalks and scientific experiments, is part of astronauts’ job description.

Today, astronauts are equipped with state-of-the-art gear and receive technical training. American astronauts learn about photography and video from instructors like Paul Reichert of NASA’s Flight Operations Directorate. NASA collects their work.

Don Pettit and Jeff Williams are among the astronauts whose images have earned special note.

1937, Jack Nicholson, actor, b.
1955~ Congress orders all US coins to bear the motto, In God We Trust.
2010 – The Deepwater Horizon oil platform, operated by BP, sank into the Gulf of Mexico two days after a massive explosion that killed 11 workers.  Go to article »
PHOTOS OF THE DAY

Residents dress up with colorful local version of Roman soldiers as they celebrate Easter Sunday in Mogpog in Marinduque, Philippines. CREDIT: JES ANZAR/GETTY IMAGES

Muslim Shiite pilgrims light candles during the Shaabaniya ceremony commemorating the birth of Imam al-Mahdi, the 12^th holiest figure for Shiite Muslims, in the Iraqi holy city of Karbala. CREDIT: MOHAMMED SAWAF/AFP/GETTY IMAGES

Europe’s first ever pop-up Shakespearean Theatre, today announces the creative team for its Blenheim Palace nine-week season, following a hugely successful inaugural run at its original site in York in 2018. Picture shows Paul Hawkyard (Macduff/Bottom) Leandra Ashton (Lady Macbeth) as they attend a photo call for upcoming show, Macbeth. CREDIT: CHARLOTTE GRAHAM
Market Closes for April 22^nd, 2019

Market Index	Close	Change
Dow Jones	26511.05	-48.49 -0.18%
S&P 500	2907.97	+2.94 +0.10%
NASDAQ	8015.266	+17.205 +0.22%
TSX	16577.28	-35.53
		-0.21%

International Markets

Market Index	Close	Change
NIKKEI	22217.90	+17.34
		+0.08%
HANG SENG	29963.26y	-161.42
		-0.54%
SENSEX	38645.18	-495.10
		-1.26%
FTSE 100*	7459.88y	-11.44
		-0.15%

Bonds

Bonds		% Yield		Previous % Yield
CND. 10 Year Bond		1.786		1.767
CND. 30 Year Bond		2.080		2.052
U.S.    10 Year Bond		2.5867		2.5596
U.S. 30 Year Bond		2.9911		2.9610

Currencies

BOC Close	Today	Previous
Canadian $	0.74911	0.74702
US $	1.33487	1.33865
Euro Rate 1 Euro=		Inverse
Canadian $	1.50288	0.66539
US $	1.12586	0.88821

Commodities

Gold	Close	Previous
London Gold Fix	1275.70	1275.85
Oil
WTI Crude Future	65.70	64.00

Market Commentary:
On this day in 1970, the Dow dropped 1.3% to 762.61, and H. Ross Perot suffered the worst one-day personal investment loss then on record. His Electronic Data Systems dropped from roughly $150 a share to around $80 in chaotic over-the-counter trading, a paper loss of $450 million for Perot.
Canada
By Kristine Owram
(Bloomberg) — Canadian stocks retreated following last week’s record high as lumber shares tumbled amid lower-than- usual trading volume.
The S&P/TSX Composite Index fell 0.2 percent to 16,577.28 on volumes that were about 30 percent below the 100-day average due to the Easter long weekend.
Materials stocks slid 1.5 percent as lumber prices fell the most since December. Interfor Corp. was the biggest decliner on the benchmark, losing 8.1 percent, while Canfor Corp. fell 5.5 percent and West Fraser Timber Co. lost 4.6 percent.
Energy stocks gained 1.1 percent after the U.S. government said it won’t renew waivers that let countries buy Iranian oil without facing sanctions, pushing crude prices to the highest since October.
In other moves:
Stocks
* Rogers Communications Inc. fell 3.8 percent, the telecom stock’s biggest drop since 2016. Two analysts cut
their ratings following disappointing first-quarter results last week
* Canopy Growth Corp. gained 7.9 percent, bringing its two-day gain to 13 percent. The pot company is buying Acreage Holdings Inc. in a $3.4 billion deal that’s contingent on the U.S. legalizing cannabis
* Teck Resources Ltd. lost 1.3 percent. The company reports earnings pre-market on Tuesday
Commodities
* Western Canada Select crude oil traded at a $10.25 discount to WTI
* Gold rose 0.1 percent to $1,273.50 an ounce
FX/Bonds
* The Canadian dollar strengthened 0.3 percent to C$1.3349 per U.S. dollar
* The Canada 10-year government bond yield rose 2 basis points to 1.79 percent
US
By Sarah Ponczek and Vildana Hajric
(Bloomberg) — U.S. equities eked out a gain in light volume as investors prepared for a deluge of earnings news. Oil jumped after the White House said it will scrap waivers that allow the purchase of some Iranian crude.
The S&P 500 Index rose 0.1 percent even as most members of the gauge fell, and closed about 1 percent below its all-time high. Energy shares rallied alongside crude prices, while real- estate companies slumped after sales of previously owned U.S. homes eased more than forecast in March. The dollar was steady as 10-year Treasury yields inched up.
With corporate reporting season in full flow, investors are looking for clues as to whether the dovish policy pivot from the world’s central banks can shore up global growth enough to outweigh any deterioration in earnings. The stock market appears to be saying yes for now, with the U.S. equity benchmark near a record high and an MSCI gauge of global equities on track for a fourth month of gains.
“It’s going to take something else to push the S&P 500 to new all-time highs,” Tom Essaye, a former Merrill Lynch trader who founded “The Sevens Report” newsletter, wrote to clients Monday. “That was the main takeaway from last week, as good Chinese economic data, ‘progress’ on U.S.-China trade, and dovish Fed utterances about average inflation failed to spur a rally in stocks — reflecting the fact that all those positives are now priced into markets.”
Traders have a week full of company earnings releases to look forward to, including from major technology firms. They’ll also be focused on the U.S. economy, with first-quarter gross domestic product data due Friday.
Elsewhere, Chinese stocks and bonds fell as investors wagered future stimulus will be limited, while shares in Japan finished slightly higher. In Sri Lanka, bonds and the rupee slipped after Sunday’s terrorist attacks. The Easter holiday weekend shut trading in much of Europe. Bloomberg’s commodity index climbed as West Texas oil rose to the highest since October.
Here are some notable events coming up:
* A Who’s Who of the tech world reports this week, with Amazon, Facebook, Twitter, Microsoft and Tesla among the heavy hitters on tap. European bank earnings kick into full gear with reports from Deutsche Bank, UBS, Barclays, Credit Suisse and Swedbank.
* The Bank of Japan, Bank of Canada, Bank of Russia, Sweden’s Riksbank and Bank of Indonesia set monetary policy.
* Germany’s IFO data is released Wednesday.
* Japan’s Shinzo Abe meets leaders of the European Union Thursday before flying to the U.S. for a summit with President Donald Trump.
* The initial print on first-quarter U.S. GDP Friday will be closely watched for clues as to how the economy responded to the government shutdown and fallout from the fourth-quarter market rout.

These are the main market moves:
Stocks
* The S&P 500 Index rose 0.1 percent at the close of trading in New York.
* The MSCI Asia Pacific Index fell 0.2 percent.
* The Shanghai Composite Index decreased 1.7 percent, the largest dip in more than three weeks.
* The MSCI Emerging Market Index declined 0.3 percent.
Currencies
* The Bloomberg Dollar Spot Index was little changed.
* The offshore yuan fell 0.2 percent.
* The euro rose 0.1 percent to $1.1259.
* The MSCI Emerging Markets Currency Index fell 0.1 percent.
Bonds
* The yield on two-year Treasuries rose less than one basis point to 2.387 percent.
* The yield on 10-year Treasuries rose three basis points to 2.59 percent.
Commodities
* Bloomberg’s commodity index rose 0.3 percent.
* Gold was little changed at $1,275.13 an ounce.
* West Texas Intermediate crude increased 2.7 percent to $65.70 a barrel.
* Copper sank 0.5 percent to $2.9115 a pound.
–With assistance from Cormac Mullen and Todd White.

Have a great night.

Be magnificent!
As ever,

Carolann

People generally see what they look for, and hear what they listen for.
Harper Lee, 1926-2016  To Kill a Mockingbird

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

 

Dear Friends,

Tangents:  Happy Friday!

1775 ~ Paul Revere’s Midnight Ride
1906 ~ San Francisco earthquake and fire kills over 500.
1955 ~Albert Einstein, physicist, d.
2011 ~ Standard & Poor’s lowered its long-term outlook for the U.S. government’s fiscal health from “stable” to “negative.” Go to article »

From The New York Times:

The neurologist and writer Oliver Sacks, who died in 2015, was a great believer in the power of gardens. In an excerpt from “Everything in Its Place,” a posthumous collection of his writings, he wrote about nature’s calming and organizing effects on our brains. Above, the Royal Botanical Gardens in Peradeniya, Sri Lanka.

“I have seen in my patients the restorative and healing powers of nature and gardens, even for those who are deeply disabled neurologically,” he wrote. “In many cases, gardens and nature are more powerful than any medication.”

If you can, go outside this weekend.

PHOTOS OF THE DAY

A Balinese groom casts his ballot at a polling station during election in Bali, Indonesia. CREDIT: FIRDIA LISNAWATI/AP

Activists on top of a Dockland Light Railway at Canary Wharf station in east London as part of the ongoing climate change protests in the capital. CREDIT: KIRSTY O’CONNOR/PA

Actor Joanne Haines, in a cherry picker, rehearses with a giant mechanical baby at the Grade I listed Piece Hall, Halifax for Good Friday’s world premiere of Zara: Daughters of Fortune. Haines plays Zara, a learning disabled mother fighting to protect her baby, in the outdoor production by Bradford-based Mind the Gap. The play features 100 mainly learning-disabled actors, a host of special effects including 3D images projected onto the 18^th century Piece Hall, and the mechanical baby which is 22ft when seated and takes eight people to operate. CREDIT: ASADOUR GUZELIAN
Market Closes for April 18^th, 2019

Market Index	Close	Change
Dow Jones	26559.54	+110.00 +0.42%
S&P 500	2905.03	+4.58 +0.16%
NASDAQ	7998.063	+1.983 +0.02%
TSX	16612.81	+68.57
		+0.41%

International Markets

Market Index	Close	Change
NIKKEI	22090.12	-187.85
		-0.84%
HANG SENG	29963.26	-161.42
		-0.54%
SENSEX	39140.28	-135.36
		-0.34%
FTSE 100*	7459.88y	-11.44
		-0.15%

Bonds

Bonds		% Yield		Previous % Yield
CND. 10 Year Bond		1.767		1.799
CND. 30 Year Bond		2.052		2.089
U.S.    10 Year Bond		2.5596		2.5922
U.S. 30 Year Bond		2.9610		2.9927

Currencies

BOC Close	Today	Previous
Canadian $	0.74702	0.74966
US $	1.33865	1.33391
Euro Rate 1 Euro=		Inverse
Canadian $	1.50346	0.66513
US $	1.12312	0.89037

Commodities

Gold	Close	Previous
London Gold Fix	1275.85	1276.35
Oil
WTI Crude Future	64.00	63.76

Market Commentary:
Canada
By Michael Bellusci
(Bloomberg) — Canadian stocks extended gains for a third straight week, climbing to a record, buoyed by Canopy Growth Corp.’s proposal to buy New York-based marijuana company Acreage Holdings Inc.
The S&P/TSX Composite Index gained 0.4 percent to 16,613. Consumer discretionary led the market Friday while health care was a close second. Materials underperformed.
The rally in Canadian shares has been driven by a resurgent energy sector and a stronger cannabis-related shares. Brian Belski, chief investment strategist at BMO Capital Markets, said Canada is in a lot better shape than most people think.
In other moves:
Stocks
* Green Growth Brands Inc. rose 11%
* ERO Copper Corp. jumped 10.5% updating exploration drill programs at its Pilar and Vermelhos mineral districts
* Green Thumb Industries Inc. advanced 5.8% after getting a new buy rating from Roth
* Dollarama Inc. rose 3.3%, the highest since Sept. 28
* Athabasca Oil Corp. fell 4.7%, the most since Jan. 7
* Village Farms International Inc. dropped 4.5%
Commodities
* Western Canada Select crude oil traded at a $10.25 discount to WTI
* Gold slightly up about 0.1 percent to $1,277.20 an ounce
FX/Bonds
* The Canadian dollar fell 0.3 percent to C$1.3385 per U.S. dollar
* The Canada 10-year government bond yield fell to 1.767%
US
By Todd White
(Bloomberg) — U.S. stocks edged higher ahead of the holiday weekend as gains in industrial stocks slightly outweighed weakness in health-care and energy shares. The dollar advanced.
The S&P 500 Index pushed above 2,900 after data showed retail sales jumped by the most since September 2017 and unemployment claims fell. Pinterest Inc. and Zoom Video Communications Inc. both surged following initial public offerings. Blackstone Group LP rallied after saying it will convert to a corporation. Health insurers and hospitals halted a slide sparked by concern over medical policy.
The yield on 10-year Treasuries slipped, while the dollar strengthened against major peers. The euro fell following disappointing German and euro-area factory numbers. West Texas crude declined, while emerging-market stocks headed for their biggest decline in a week.
Equity investors remained cautious ahead of the three-day weekend for U.S. markets, with many assessing the long-awaited findings of the Special Counsel’s report on Russian interference in the 2016 election. Exchanges across Europe will also be shuttered on Monday. So far this week solid economic data out of China, optimistic signals from the trade talks and a decent start to the earnings season had not been enough to spur much risk appetite, particularly after policy concerns sank American healthcare stocks on Wednesday.
Here are some notable events coming up:
* A swathe of financial markets will close across the Western world for the Good Friday holiday, including in the U.S., U.K. and Germany.

These are the main market moves:
Stocks
* The S&P 500 rose 0.2 percent to 2,905.07 at 4 p.m. in New York.
* The Nasdaq 100 added 0.1 percent.
* The Stoxx Europe 600 Index rose 0.2 percent.
* The MSCI Asia Pacific Index fell 0.6 percent.
* The MSCI Emerging Market Index fell 0.3 percent.
Currencies
* The Bloomberg Dollar Spot Index gained 0.4 percent.
* The euro sank 0.6 percent to $1.12 on the largest decrease in almost four weeks.
* The MSCI Emerging Markets Currency Index dropped 0.2 percent.
Bonds
* The yield on two-year Treasuries fell two basis points to 2.38 percent.
* The yield on 10-year Treasuries dipped three basis points to 2.56 percent.
* Germany’s 10-year yield lost six basis points to 0.025 percent.
Commodities
* Gold futures were flat at $1,276.80 an ounce.
* West Texas crude gained 0.3 percent to $64.05 a barrel.
–With assistance from Adam Haigh and Cormac Mullen.

Have a wonderful weekend everyone.

Be magnificent!
As ever,

Carolann

If you are truly serious about preparing your child for the future, don’t teach  him to subtract – teach him to deduct.
  -Fran Lebowitz, b.1946

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

Dear Friends,

Tangents:
On April 17, 1961, about 1,500 CIA-trained Cuban exiles launched the disastrous Bay of Pigs invasion of Cuba in a failed attempt to overthrow the government of Fidel Castro.
April 17, 1991:  first time the Dow Jones tops 3000.  The Dow closed today at 26,449.54.
Go to article »
1837 – J.P. Morgan, banker, born.
1885 – Isak Dinesen, writer, born.

ICYMI:
From The New York Times:

We have profound news from our science desk.

Researchers at Yale University removed the brains from 32 dead pigs and, hours later, restored cellular activity to them. A bioethicist called the brains “partly alive.”

The study overturns long-held assumptions about brain death, and raises questions about the line between life and mortality. (We did say it was profound.)

PHOTOS OF THE DAY

An 8 metre whale sharks swims under a tourist boat in the Ningaloo Reef, off the coast of Western Australia. CREDIT: OCEAN COLLECTIVE MEDIA/SWNS.COM

A blooming cherry tree stands in a field as the sun sets in Somosko near Salgotarjan, Hungary. CREDIT: PETER KOMKA/EPA-EFE/REX

Fallen debris from the burnt out roof structure sits near the high altar inside Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, France. CREDIT: CHRISTOPHE MORIN/BLOOMBERG
Market Closes for April 17^th, 2019

Market Index	Close	Change
Dow Jones	26449.54	-3.12 -0.01%
S&P 500	2900.45	-6.61 -0.23%
NASDAQ	7996.078	-4.147 -0.05%
TSX	16544.24	+42.04
		+0.25%

International Markets

Market Index	Close	Change
NIKKEI	22277.97	+56.31
		+0.25%
HANG SENG	30124.68	-5.19
		-0.02%
SENSEX	39275.64y	+369.80
		+0.95%
FTSE 100*	7471.32y	+1.40
		+0.02%

Bonds

Bonds		% Yield		Previous % Yield
CND. 10 Year Bond		1.799		1.783
CND. 30 Year Bond		2.089		2.084
U.S.    10 Year Bond		2.5922		2.5904
U.S. 30 Year Bond		2.9927		2.9919

Currencies

BOC Close	Today	Previous
Canadian $	0.74966	0.74893
US $	1.33391	1.33522
Euro Rate 1 Euro=		Inverse
Canadian $	1.50722	0.66347
US $	1.12991	0.88502

Commodities

Gold	Close	Previous
London Gold Fix	1276.35	1285.65
Oil
WTI Crude Future	63.76	64.05

Market Commentary:
On this day in 1930, the stock market hit a high following the stock-market crash of 1929. The Dow closed at 294.07, up 48% in the five months since stocks bottomed on Nov. 13, 1929. Over the next two years, however, the blue-chip index lost another 86% of its value, hitting rock bottom at 41.22 on July 8, 1932.
Canada
By Bloomberg Automation
(Bloomberg) — The S&P/TSX Composite rose 0.3 percent at 16,544.24 in Toronto. The index advanced to the highest closing level since July 13 after the previous session’s decrease of 0.1 percent.
Canadian Natural Resources Ltd. contributed the most to the index gain, increasing 3.2 percent. Hexo Corp. had the largest increase, rising 12.0 percent.
    Today, 120 of 243 shares rose, while 121 fell; 6 of 11 sectors were higher, led by financials stocks.

* The index advanced 7.8 percent in the past 52 weeks. The MSCI AC Americas Index gained 6.4 percent in the same period
* The S&P/TSX Composite is 0.3 percent below its 52-week high on July 13, 2018 and 20.1 percent above its low on Dec. 24, 2018
* The S&P/TSX Composite is up 0.9 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 18.6 on a trailing basis and 15.2 times estimated earnings of its members for the coming year
* The index’s dividend yield is 3 percent on a trailing 12-month basis
* S&P/TSX Composite’s members have a total market capitalization of C$2.55 trillion
* 30-day price volatility fell to 6.48 percent compared with 6.53 percent in the previous session and the average of 6.57 percent over the past month.
* The benchmark 10-year bond fell and the yield rose 1.6 basis points to 1.799 percent
US
By Jeremy Herron and Sarah Ponczek
(Bloomberg) — U.S. stocks fell to a one-week low as the drop in health-care providers extended amid concern about policy changes and the latest batch of corporate earnings did little to boost confidence in the economy. Treasuries edged higher.
The S&P 500 Index closed at 2,900 as health providers from UnitedHealth to Anthem and Humana tumbled. Merck fell the most in the Dow Jones Industrial Average, which slipped 26 points.
The Nasdaq 100 Index surpassed its August record after Qualcomm Inc.’s two-day surge topped 40 percent, though gains were tempered by a slump among biotech shares.
The rout in health-care shares overshadowed the latest batch of earnings reports, which painted a mixed picture on the state of the economy. Morgan Stanley rose, but a rout in Bank NY Mellon weighed on financial shares lower. PepsiCo. Inc. jumped to an all-time high after posting solid results, while CSX Corp. and Kansas City Southern lifted transportation stocks. IBM Corp. slumped as sales fell.
Health providers and hospital operators have come under pressure as national politicians debate the merits of expanding Medicare to all Americans, a move that has the power to upend earnings models for large parts of the system.
“While there is still no convincing evidence legislative changes will have any negative impact on this year‘s earnings, it doesn’t help to have a major headwind emerge for an industry that was expected to be a driver of a second-half profit rebound,” said Alec Young, managing director of global markets research for FTSE Russell.
The yield on 10-year Treasuries was virtually unchanged after climbing to a four-week high and the dollar fell amid data showing the U.S. trade gap unexpectedly narrowed. European debt also dropped, while the euro strengthened even as Germany’s economy ministry revised its growth forecast lower. Data overnight showing China’s economic growth, industrial production and retail sales all topped estimates boosted equities around the world. The Stoxx Europe 600 Index erased a drop, while shares rose in Japan and Shanghai.
As earnings continue to pour in, investors are growing more confident the anticipated drop in first-quarter results won’t spoil the year. At the same time, central banks around the world remain accommodative, and the latest Chinese data appears to have calmed jitters that the world’s second-largest economy was headed for a slowdown.
Here are some notable events coming up:
* Earnings season rolls on this week, with reports due from American Express, Honeywell, Alcoa and Taiwan Semiconductor among others.
* A swathe of financial markets will close across the Western world for the Good Friday holiday, including in the U.S., U.K. and Germany.

These are the main moves in markets:
Stocks
* The S&P 500 fell 0.2 percent to 2,900.49 at 4 p.m. in New York.
* The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell less than 0.1 percent, while the Nasdaq 100 added 0.3 percent.
* The Stoxx Europe 600 Index advanced 0.1 percent.
* The MSCI All-Country World Index increased 0.2 percent.
* The MSCI Emerging Market Index jumped 0.3 percent to the highest in 10 months.
Currencies
* The Bloomberg Dollar Spot Index dipped less than 0.1 percent.
* The euro gained less than 0.1 percent to $1.13.
* The British pound fell less than 0.05 percent to $1.3044.
* The Japanese yen was little changed at 112.045 per dollar.
Bonds
* The yield on 10-year Treasuries was little changed at 2.59 percent after hitting the highest in more than four weeks.
* Germany’s 10-year yield added one basis point to 0.08 percent.
* Japan’s 10-year yield rose two basis points to -0.013 percent.
Commodities
* West Texas Intermediate crude fell 0.1 percent to $63.96 a barrel.
* Gold futures fell 0.1 percent to $1,276.60 an ounce.
* The Bloomberg Commodity Index retreated 0.3 percent.
–With assistance from Ron Harui, Adam Haigh, Todd White and Robert Brand.

Have a great night.

Be magnificent!

As ever,

Carolann

Go placidly amid the noise and the haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence.
-Max Ehrmann, 1872-1945

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

Dear Friends,

Tangents:
“The Rolling Stones (England’s Newest Hitmakers),” the band’s debut album, was released. Go to article »

The Poem:

Bugs In A Bowl
 -by David Budbill

Han Shan, that great and crazy, wonder-filled
Chinese poet of a thousand years ago, said:

We’re just like bugs in a bowl.
All day going around
never leaving their bowl.

I say: that’s right!  Every day
climbing up the steep sides,
sliding back. Over and over again.
Around and around.
Up and back down.

Sit in the bottom of the bowl, 
head in your hands, cry, moan,
feel sorry for yourself.

Or.

Look around.
See your fellow bugs.
Walk around. Say,
Hey, how you doing?
Say, Nice bowl!
PHOTOS OF THE DAY

The sun is out and shining as the weather starts to warm up and Cookie the cockapoo dog goes for a walk amongst the bulebells in Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, UK. CREDIT: PAUL MARRIOTT PHOTOGRAPHY

Sumo wrestlers attend a ritual ceremony at the Yasukuni Shrine for the ‘Honozumo’, a ceremonial sumo tournament in Tokyo, Japan. More than six thousand spectators enjoyed this one-day event where sumo wrestlers demonstrate their skills. CREDIT: FRANCK ROBICHON/EPA-EFE/REX

A bird’s eye view of the 326 Tai Haku (or Great White Cherry) trees in blossom in The Alnwick Garden in Northumberland, UK. It is thought to be the largest orchard of the trees outside Japan and is in full bloom as the temperatures look set to rise ready for the Easter weekend. CREDIT: OWEN HUMPHREYS/PA WIRE

Norwegian surfer Jono Dunnett (45), who set sail for world trip with his windsurf from Norway, sails as he arrives Abana district of Kastamonu, Turkey. CREDIT: SEMIH YUKSEL/ANADOLU AGENCY/GETTY IMAGES
Market Closes for April 16^th, 2019

Market Index	Close	Change
Dow Jones	S26452.66	+67.89 +0.26%
S&P 500	2907.06	+1.48 +0.05%
NASDAQ	8000.227	+24.215 +0.30%
TSX	16502.20	-13.26
		-0.08%

International Markets

Market Index	Close	Change
NIKKEI	22221.66	+52.55
		+0.24%
HANG SENG	30129.87	+319.15
		+1.07%
SENSEX	39257.64	+369.80
		+0.95%
FTSE 100*	7469.92y	+33.05
		+0.44%

Bonds

Bonds		% Yield		Previous % Yield
CND. 10 Year Bond		1.783		1.755
CND. 30 Year Bond		2.084		2.058
U.S.    10 Year Bond		2.5904		2.5543
U.S. 30 Year Bond		2.9919		2.9682

Currencies

BOC Close	Today	Previous
Canadian $	0.74893	0.74783
US $	1.33522	1.33720
Euro Rate 1 Euro=		Inverse
Canadian $	1.50680	0.66366
US $	1.12851	0.88610

Commodities

Gold	Close	Previous
London Gold Fix	1285.65	1294.30
Oil
WTI Crude Future	64.05	63.40

Market Commentary:
On this day in 1998, Cendant, one of the great growth stocks of the 1990s, collapsed as the firm disclosed “potential accounting irregularities” resulting from its binge buying of other companies. The stock lost 46% of its value in a single day—right after leading analysts at Morgan Stanley Dean Witter, Goldman Sachs, BT Alex. Brown and Furman Selz had all strongly recommended buying it.
Canada
By Michael Bellusci
(Bloomberg) — Canadian stocks dropped Tuesday, stopping a four-day advance, as the market took a steep drop in late trading.
The S&P/TSX Composite Index lost 0.1 percent to 16,502. Information technology, materials and real estate lagged while health care and consumer discretionary outperformed. Cannabis companies will continue to miss analyst estimates and their own forecasts by “a thousand miles,” but shareholders will shake it off because of the industry’s long-term growth potential, a group of investors said Tuesday. Additionally, Tamarack Valley Energy Ltd. is literally going the extra mile to boost returns during tough times for the Canadian oil industry.
In other moves:
Stocks
* Journey Energy Inc. jumped 26.7% after well test results
* Green Growth Brands Inc. gained 7.8%, the most since March 11
* Village Farms International Inc. lost 10.9% after Citron revealed a short idea
* Constellation Software Inc. fell 2.5%, the most since February 25  Ratings
* CG CN: Centerra Gold Reinstated at Credit Suisse With Neutral; PT C$8
* CVE CN: Cenovus Energy Upgraded to Neutral at Goldman
* ELD CN: Eldorado Gold Reinstated at Credit Suisse With Neutral
* EXE CN: Extendicare Rated New Buy at Laurentian Bank Securities; PT C$10
* GTE CN: Gran Tierra Reinstated at RBC With Top Pick
* MG CN: Magna International Rated New Buy at Seaport
* MG CN: Magna Gets New Bull as Seaport Positive on Supply Position
* NGD CN: New Gold Reinstated at Credit Suisse With Neutral
* NGD CN: Barrick, First Majestic, Magna, Obsidian: Canada Pre-Market
* POW CN: Power of Canada Resumed at BMO With Outperform; PT C$34
* PWF CN: Power Financial Resumed at BMO With Market Perform; PT C$33
Commodities
* Western Canada Select crude oil traded at a $9.25 discount to WTI
* Gold fell 1 percent to $1,279.50 an ounce
FX/Bonds
* The Canadian dollar strengthened 0.1 percent to C$1.3353 per U.S. dollar
* The Canada 10-year government bond yield rose to 1.781 percent
US
By Jeremy Herron and Vildana Hajric
(Bloomberg) — Most U.S. stocks rose as a group of high- profile earnings offered divergent clues on the strength of the American economy. The 10-year Treasury yield reached its highest level since the March Federal Reserve meeting.
The S&P 500 eked out a gain, while the Nasdaq 100 closed within 0.1 percent of an all-time high. Apple Inc. was flat and Qualcomm Inc. surged after the two dropped litigation against each other. Netflix Inc. ended the regular session higher, but slid in late trading after a key metric missed estimates. IBM Corp. fell afterhours as sales fell short of forecasts. Financial firms paced gains after BlackRock Inc.’s results offset weakness at Bank of America Corp. UnitedHealth Group Inc.’s earnings call rekindled concern about policy uncertainty, dragging insurers lower. Johnson & Johnson advanced after strong earnings.
Treasuries continued to slump, with rates reclaiming levels last seen before the Fed’s dovish tilt a month ago. In Europe, equities climbed for a fifth day, driven by insurance and financial services firms. In Asia, shares in China and Hong Kong outperformed markets in Japan and South Korea. The euro pared a decline after Bloomberg reported that European Central Bank officials are said to lack enthusiasm for any revamp of their negative-interest rate tool.
“You’re seeing some fairly significant companies — last Friday, JPMorgan, a few others here this week, BlackRock today – – a lot of these financials that had gotten pummeled this quarter seem to be doing pretty well in beating earnings.” said Wayne Wicker, CIO at Vantagepoint Investment Advisers, which has about $28 billion in assets under management as of the end of March. “It’s starting to give investors a little encouragement that maybe we have not breached the lower end of expectations.” Investors are spending the holiday-shortened week assessing the chances that stocks will sustain their rally even as similar gains in global investment-grade bonds have ebbed since late March. Optimism over earnings appears to be boosting bullish sentiment in equities, though volumes have been muted. Central banks are also in the frame, with Chicago Fed President Charles Evans, who currently sees rates on hold until the fall of 2020, saying that the nation’s central bank may need to cut them if inflation falls. Officials from Australia, New Zealand and Japan also indicated appetite to support growth through monetary policy.
Elsewhere, oil held near the lowest in a week in New York on estimates that U.S. crude inventories increased again. Emerging-market stocks climbed, though the currencies weakened.
Here are some notable events coming up:
* Earnings season rolls on this week, with reports due from: Morgan Stanley, American Express, Netflix, IBM, United Continental, PepsiCo, Honeywell, Alcoa and Taiwan Semiconductor.
* Wednesday brings China GDP, industrial production and retail sales data.
* Stock markets will be closed for the Good Friday holiday in countries including the U.S., U.K. and Germany.

These are the main moves in markets:
Stocks
* The S&P 500 rose 0.1 percent to 2,907.09 as of 4 p.m. in New York.
* The Dow was up 0.3 percent and the Nasdaq 100 Index climbed 0.3 percent.
* The Stoxx Europe 600 Index increased 0.3 percent.
* The MSCI Emerging Market Index rose 0.7 percent, the largest advance in two weeks.
* The MSCI Asia Pacific Index climbed 0.3 percent to the highest in more than six months.
Currencies
* The Bloomberg Dollar Spot Index increased 0.2 percent to the highest in more than a week.
* The euro was little changed at $1.1290.
* The British pound declined 0.3 percent to $1.3059.
* The Japanese yen climbed 0.1 percent to 111.97 per dollar.
Bonds
* The yield on 10-year Treasuries increased three basis points to 2.59 percent, the highest in four weeks.
* Germany’s 10-year yield climbed one basis point to 0.066 percent, the highest in almost four weeks.
Commodities
* West Texas Intermediate crude climbed 1.1 percent to $64.11 a barrel.
* Gold futures fell 0.9 percent to $1,279.20 an ounce.
–With assistance from Sarah Ponczek, Andreea Papuc and Yakob Peterseil.

Have a great night.

Be magnificent!
As ever,

Carolann

One machine can do the work of fifty ordinary men.  No machine  can do the work of one extraordinary man.
                                                                                                            -Elbert Hubbard, 1859-1915

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

Dear Friends,

Tangents:
On April 15, 1912, the British luxury liner Titanic sank in the North Atlantic off Newfoundland, less than three hours after striking an iceberg. About 1,500 people died.
Go to article »

1955~First McDonald’s opens.
1452~ Leonardo da Vinci, born.

Tragic news today about Notre Dame in Paris:
-from The New York Times:
We have photos and video of the disaster, and a short history of this scarred jewel of Gothic architecture.
PHOTOS OF THE DAY

A penitent of the ‘La Paz’ brotherhood make their way to church for a Palm Sunday procession in Sevilla.Palm Sunday is celebrated by Christians worldwide as it marks the biblical account of the entry of Jesus Christ into Jerusalem signalling the start of the Holy Week to Easter Sunday. FROM THE TELEGRAPH, 4.15.2019

Indian Sikh devotees light candles on the occasion of the Baisakhi festival at the Golden Temple in Amritsar on April 14, 2019. – Baisakhi, usually celebrated on April 13 or 14 every year, is a religious and spring festival that marks the Sikh New Year. CREDIT: NARINDER NANU/AFP/GETTY IMAGES

Journalists film inside the newly-discovered tomb of the ancient Egyptian nobleman “Khewi” dating back to the 5^th dynasty (2494 – 2345 BC), at the Saqqara necropolis in Egypt. CREDIT: MOHAMED EL-SHAHED/AFP/GETTY IMAGES
Market Closes for April 15^th, 2019

Market Index	Close	Change
Dow Jones	S26384.77	-27.53 -0.10%
S&P 500	2905.58	-1.83 -0.06%
NASDAQ	7976.012	-8.152 -0.10%
TSX	16515.46	+34.93
		+0.21%

International Markets

Market Index	Close	Change
NIKKEI	22169.11y	+298.55
		+1.37%
HANG SENG	29810.72y	-99.04
		-0.33%
SENSEX	38905.84	+138.73
		+0.36%
FTSE 100*	7436.87y	-0.19
		n.c.

Bonds

Bonds		% Yield		Previous % Yield
CND. 10 Year Bond		1.755		1.781
CND. 30 Year Bond		2.058		2.064
U.S.    10 Year Bond		2.5543		2.5597
U.S. 30 Year Bond		2.9682		2.9737

Currencies

BOC Close	Today	Previous
Canadian $	0.74783	0.75073
US $	1.33720	1.33231
Euro Rate 1 Euro=		Inverse
Canadian $	1.51159	0.66155
US $	1.13030	0.88472

Commodities

Gold	Close	Previous
London Gold Fix	1294.30	1298.80
Oil
WTI Crude Future	63.40	63.89

Market Commentary:
On this day in 1998, the New York Stock Exchange implemented its “circuit-breaker” rules that mandated trading halts when the market dropped at least 10%.
Canada
By Aoyon Ashraf
(Bloomberg) — Canadian stocks climbed for the 10th day in the last 11 sessions, as the benchmark index flirted with a record high. Materials and financials were outperformers among the sectors Monday, while pot stocks lagged behind.
The S&P/TSX Composite Index rose 0.2 percent to 16,515.46 in Toronto. Material stocks advanced, as fertilizer giant Nutrien Ltd. bounced back from a four-day decline. Lundin Mining Corp. also was among the best performers, after agreeing to buy a copper mine in Brazil from gold producer Yamana Gold Inc. for $800 million. Pot stocks lost ground, led by Aphria Inc., which tumbled after reporting a writedown and revenue that missed expectations.
Meanwhile, the loonie’s bullish run in 2019 may soon run out of fuel if crude loses momentum. Many forecasters appear skeptical about the prospects for oil to advance much beyond its current level, potentially sapping some support from the Canadian dollar.
In other moves:
Stocks
* Lundin Mining climbed 8.1 percent on copper mine purchase from Yamana
* Osisko Gold Royalties rose 4 percent, reversing last three days’ decline
* Endeavour Mining also gained after a three-day loss
* Cannabis stocks Cronos Group, Hexo, Canopy Growth were among the biggest decliners
* Hudbay Minerals fell 4.1 percent after reporting first-quarter Manitoba production results and Waterton Global Resource Management sent a letter to the shareholders urging them to vote blue proxy card
Commodities
* Western Canada Select crude oil traded at a $8.75 discount to WTI
* Gold spot price fell 0.2 percent to $1,287.95 an ounce
FX/Bonds
* The Canadian dollar fell 0.4 percent
* The Canada 10-year government bond yield fell to 1.75 percent
US
By Sarah Ponczek
(Bloomberg) — U.S. stocks halted a three-day advance mixed after disappointing results from Goldman Sachs Group Inc. and Citigroup Inc. dragged down bank shares. Crude slumped toward $63 a barrel in New York.
The S&P 500 Index slipped from a six-month high as the U.S. corporate earnings season kicks into high gear. Goldman slumped 3.8 percent for the biggest drop in the Dow Jones Industrial Average after missing estimates for sales and trading revenue. Citigroup also retreated after its revenue matched expectations. The Bloomberg Commodity Index slid as natural gas and crude futures retreated.
    “The momentum is definitely in the US stock market, but the dramatic rise is looking a bit tired and in need of a few weeks break,” Paul Nolte, a portfolio manager at Kingsview Asset Management, wrote to clients. “Earnings season could provide the market with a bit of a rest as investors digest the reports and determine the overall strength of corporate America.”
European stocks edged higher, as losses in mining shares offset increases in media and insurance. The euro strengthened for a second day. In Asia, equities approached a fresh six-month high, propelled by markets in Japan and Korea, following the Bank of China’s release of upbeat credit data late Friday. With Chinese trade and lending data showing signs of improvement for the world’s second-biggest economy, investors are turning to the U.S. earnings season to confirm the resilience of corporate America in the face of numerous challenges to growth. JPMorgan Chase & Co. posted strong first- quarter results last week, and Bank of America Corp. is up on Tuesday.
Central banks remain in the picture, with President Donald Trump renewing his attack on the Fed leadership over the weekend, saying the stock market would be “5,000 to 10,000” points higher had it not been for the actions of U.S. policy makers.
Elsewhere, West Texas oil contracts slipped after the longest run of weekly gains in three years as a report showed increased U.S. oil-rig activity. Emerging market stocks pared early gains, while still heading for the 12th increase in 13 sessions. In currencies, Korea’s won jump the most since January.
Here are some notable events coming up:
* Earnings season rolls on this week, with reports due from: Bank of America, BlackRock, Morgan Stanley, American Express, Johnson & Johnson, Netflix, IBM, United Continental, PepsiCo, Honeywell, Alcoa and Taiwan Semiconductor.
* The Reserve Bank of Australia releases the minutes of its latest rate-decision meeting Tuesday.
* Wednesday brings China GDP, industrial production and retail sales data.
* Stock markets will be closed for Easter holidays in countries including the U.S., U.K. and Germany on Friday.

These are the main moves in markets:
Stocks
* The S&P 500 fell 0.1 percent at 4 p.m. in New York.
* The Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 0.1 percent.
* The Stoxx Europe 600 Index rose 0.2 percent.
* The MSCI Asia Pacific Index advanced 0.5 percent, the largest gain in more than a week.
* The MSCI Emerging Market Index slipped 0.3 percent.
* Topix index gained 1.4 percent with the first advance in more than a week.
Currencies
* The Bloomberg Dollar Spot Index rose 0.1 percent.
* The euro climbed less than 0.1 percent to $1.13.
* The MSCI Emerging Markets Currency Index advanced 0.1 percent to the highest in more than three weeks.
* The South Korean Won rose 0.6 percent.
Bonds
* The yield on two-year Treasuries slipped one basis point to 2.3854 percent.
* The yield on 10-year Treasuries fell two basis points to 2.545 percent.
* Germany’s 10-year yield climbed less than one basis point to 0.056 percent.
Commodities
* Gold futures declined 0.3 percent to $1,291 an ounce.
* Brent crude fell 0.4 percent to $71.25 a barrel.
* Platinum dipped 1.6 percent to $884.40 an ounce, the lowest in more than a week on the largest decrease in more than two weeks.
–With assistance from Elena Popina, Sarah Ponczek, Adam Haigh and Todd White.

Have a great night.

Be magnificent!
As ever,

Carolann

The quieter you become the more you are able to hear.
                                               -Rumi,1207-1273

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

Dear Friends,

Tangents:  Happy Friday!
April 12, 1945~ Franklin D. Roosevelt died.
April 12, 1955 ~ Polio vaccine.
April 12, 1961 ~ 1^st man in space, Yuri Gagarin, USSR.
Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the first man to fly in space, orbiting the Earth once before making a safe landing.
April 12, 1981 The space shuttle Columbia blasted off from Cape Canaveral, Fla., on its first test flight.

The final season of “Game of Thrones” begins Sunday night after a nearly two-year hiatus. As the fantasy saga heads for the explosive finale it has promised, our TV critic is hoping for a little more conversation and a little less action. We also have this very thorough guide that details where the show left off, and what’s to come. –NY Times.
PHOTOS OF THE DAY

Chihuly at Kew: Reflections on nature at Kew Gardens, London. The individual blown glass forms of Sapphire Star radiate outward to create a celestial visual experience. The world’s most celebrated contemporary glass artist brings his work to Kew Gardens, in a major exhibition of installations. The majority of the artworks have never been seen in the UK. The exhibition runs from 13^th April to 27^th October 2019. CREDIT: ELLIOTT FRANKS

The 10^th Red Ball Ragnarok annual snowkite race held in Hardangervidda National Park, Norway. The skies above the stark wilderness of Scandinavia’s biggest national park were filled with hundreds of colourful snowkites for the Red Bull Ragnarok annual race. The stunning images show hundreds of snowkites floating above the stark frozen plateau. This year 250 participants from 30 different nations tackled the gruelling five-lap course which was held in Hardangervidda National Park for the 10^th time. CREDIT: RED BULL/SWNS.COM

Framed through the Empty Sky Memorial in Jersey City, N.J., sunrise lights up the sky behind the New York City skyline. CREDIT: AP PHOTO/J. DAVID AKE

The Milky Way over Dunstanburgh Castle in the early hours of Thursday morning. Dunstanburgh castle is a 14^th-century fortification on the coast of Northumberland in northern England, between the villages of Craster and Embleton. The castle was built by Earl Thomas of Lancaster between 1313 and 1322. CREDIT: OWEN HUMPHREYS/PA WIRE
Market Commentary:
On this day in 1996, Yahoo launched its IPO on the Nasdaq Composite, selling 2.6 million shares at an initial price of $13 a share. In one of Wall Street’s wildest feeding frenzies, mutual funds and other big investors “flipped” the shares over and over until the first day’s trading volume hit 204.36 million shares, meaning that each share changed hands more than 78 times that day. The stock finished the day with a 34% gain.
Canada
By Aoyon Ashraf
(Bloomberg) — Canadian stocks climbed for the ninth day in 10, hovering near all-time high. Canopy Growth led the gainers amid news that the company will replace Goldcorp Inc. in the S&P/TSX 60 Index.
The S&P/TSX Composite Index 0.5 percent to 16,480.53. in Toronto. All sectors were in the green, with financials in the No. 2 spot as bank earnings took off for some of the big U.S. companies. Materials lagged, mainly as fertilizer giant Nutrien underperformed.
Meanwhile, even with danger signs piling up, the shares of the six biggest Canadian banks have stubbornly refused to drop –
— frustrating short sellers hoping to make money on stock-price declines.
In other moves:
Stocks
* Lundin Mining Corp. continued Thursday’s gains after being upgraded to buy at Goldman as copper outperformed all the other metals
* Teck Resources, Ero Copper, Hudbay Minerals are also among base metal miners that rose with copper prices
* Encana Corp. rose 5.3 percent; Goldman named the stock as one of the best stock ideas
* Crescent Point, Ensign Energy, Whitecap Energy are among the energy companies rising with oil prices
Commodities
* Western Canada Select crude oil traded at a $9.25 discount to WTI
* Gold spot price fell 0.1 percent to $1,290.77 an ounce
FX/Bonds
* The Canadian dollar strengthened 0.4 percent
* The Canada 10-year government bond yield rose to 1.781
US
By Randall Jensen and Sarah Ponczek
(Bloomberg) — U.S. stocks rose amid solid bank earnings and a major deal in the energy sector, while Treasuries fell as Chinese data bolstered optimism in the global economy.
The S&P 500 gained for a third straight week as it punched through the key 2,900 level for the first time in six months. JPMorgan Chase & Co. surged on a strong first-quarter report, while Walt Disney Co. jumped to a record after it announced a new streaming service, sinking Netflix Inc.’s shares. Anadarko Petroleum Corp. soared along with shares in its competitors after Chevron agreed to buy the energy producer. Chevron slumped. Health-insurer stocks slid for a second day as policy makers in Washington spared over proposals that threatened to disrupt their businesses, weighing on the Nasdaq indexes.
The 10-year Treasury yield pushed to the highest level in nearly a month, while the dollar gave back Thursday’s gains after China’s trade and lending signaled that the world’s second-largest economy is on more stable footing.
“We’ll see financials move today because of the bank earnings, but a lot of other sectors we probably won’t see much action in,” Michael O’Rourke, JonesTrading’s chief market strategist, said by phone. “Today seems more like a lot of the past two weeks where you just have a lot of sideways action with a slight upward bias.”
The rally in equities since late December had been struggling for momentum over the last week amid renewed trade tensions and reports of slowing global growth. Earnings and Chinese data Friday helped to ease some of those concerns. Traders will now be looking to companies to provide the next kicker as the reporting season in the U.S. gathers pace.
Elsewhere, the pound rose after Prime Minister Theresa May accepted the European Union’s offer to push the Brexit deadline out to October.
These are the main moves in markets:
Stocks
* The S&P 500 Index increased 0.7 percent as of 4 p.m. New York time.
* The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 1 percent.
* The Stoxx Europe 600 Index gained 0.2 percent.
* The MSCI Asia Pacific Index advanced 0.2 percent.
* The MSCI Emerging Market Index added 0.3 percent.
Currencies
* The Bloomberg Dollar Spot Index declined 0.1 percent to the lowest in more than two weeks.
* The euro advanced 0.4 percent to 1.1296.
* The Japanese yen fell 0.4 percent to 112.09 per dollar.
* The MSCI Emerging Markets Currency Index rose 0.1 percent.
Bonds
* The yield on 10-year Treasuries rose six basis points to 2.55 percent.
* Germany’s 10-year yield gained six basis points to 0.055 percent.
* Britain’s 10-year yield rose six basis points to 1.212 percent.
Commodities
* West Texas Intermediate crude rose 0.4 percent to $63.86 a barrel.
* Gold gained 0.1 percent to 1,294.30.
* Copper climbed 1.8 percent to $2.93 a pound.
–With assistance from Vildana Hajric and Todd White.

Have a wonderful weekend everyone.

Be magnificent!
As ever,

Carolann

All my possessions for a moment of time.
                      -Elizabeth l, 1533-1603

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

Dear Friends,

Tangents:
April 11, 1945: Liberation of Buchenwald
1968: Civil Rights Act is signed into law.
1713 – France cedes Acadia and Newfoundland to Britain under the Treaty of Utrecht.  Go to article »
You saw that first-ever image of a black hole yesterday, right? You can thank this grad student for the historic photo.

WHAT WE NEED
The Emperor,
his bullies
and henchmen,
terrorize the world
every day

which is why
every day

we need

a little poem
of kindness,

a small song
of peace,

a brief moment
of joy.
  –by David Budbill
PHOTOS OF THE DAY

One of the world’s largest flower gardens, renowned for its tulips, Keukenhof in the Netherlands is pictured from
the air. CREDIT: REMKO DE WAAL/EPA

A boat house is framed by branches at Lake Ammersee in Stegen, Bavaria. CREDIT: LUKAS BARTH-TUTTAS/EPA

Deer stand on a field near Hildesheim, Germany. CREDIT: MORITZ FRANKENBERG/DPA/AP

An image of a black hole surrounded by swirling ring of fire has been captured by a global team of more than 200 scientists using eight telescopes. The image, hailed as ‘huge breakthrough for humanity’ shows a glowing mass of plasma with a clear circular area of distorted spacetime in the centre. CREDIT: NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION VIA GETTY IMAGES.
Market Closes for April 11^th, 2019

Market Index	Close	Change
Dow Jones	S26143.05	-14.11 -0.05%
S&P 500	2888.32	+0.11 n.c.
NASDAQ	7947.359	-16.885 -0.21%
TSX	16399.47	+3.18
		+0.02%

International Markets

Market Index	Close	Change
NIKKEI	21711.38y	+23.81
		+0.11%
HANG SENG	29839.45y	-280.11
		-0.93%
SENSEX	38607.01	+21.66
		+0.06%
FTSE 100*	7417.95y	-3.96
		-0.05%

Bonds

Bonds		% Yield		Previous % Yield
CND. 10 Year Bond		1.721		1.682
CND. 30 Year Bond		2.017		1.978
U.S.    10 Year Bond		2.4970		2.4649
U.S. 30 Year Bond		2.9265		2.8946

Currencies

BOC Close	Today	Previous
Canadian $	0.74732	0.75101
US $	1.33810	1.33165
Euro Rate 1 Euro=		Inverse
Canadian $	1.50615	0.66394
US $	1.12560	0.88842

Commodities

Gold	Close	Previous
London Gold Fix	1305.45	1303.00
Oil
WTI Crude Future	63.58	64.61

Market Commentary:
Canada
By Carolina Wilson
(Bloomberg) — Canadian stocks climbed for the eighth day in nine, pushed up by energy and information technology. One of the best performers was the online platform for merchants, Shopify Inc., which hit an all-time high.
The S&P/TSX Composite Index added 0.02 percent to 16,399 in Toronto. Energy stocks extended Wednesday’s gains when crude traded near a five-month high. Health care was the worst- performing sector, as cannabis stocks dragged down the group.
Shopify reached a record after Roth Capital said channel checks suggest growth in merchant’s businesses remained healthy in first quarter, implying another strong quarter when it reports results on April 30.
In other moves:
Stocks
* SSR Mining rose 3.8 percent after reporting 1Q production numbers
* Lundin Mining Corp. climbed after being upgraded to buy at Goldman
* MTY Food Group fell 8.2 percent after news that the company will buy Papa Murphy’s
* Boralex Inc. declined 3.6 percent after being downgraded to sector perform at RBC
* Waste Connections Inc. slumped after being downgraded to hold at Stifel on headwinds to recycling business
* Cronos, CannTrust, Canopy Growth were among the worst performing pot companies
Commodities
* Western Canada Select crude oil traded at a $9.20 discount to WTI
* Gold spot price fell 1.2 percent to $1,291.92 an ounce
FX/Bonds
* The Canadian dollar fell 0.4 percent
* The Canada 10-year government bond yield rose to 1.721 percent
US
By Randall Jensen and Vildana Hajric
(Bloomberg) — Most U.S. equity benchmarks declined amid thin volumes Thursday as investors cast an eye toward the start of earnings season. Treasuries dropped as data confirmed the economy remains on solid footing.
The S&P 500 was an outlier among stock indexes, eking out its 10th gain in 11 sessions in trading more than 20 percent below its 30-day average. Health insurers led decliners as political risks intensified, while industrials paced gains as Boeing, still embattled in the 737 Max crisis, snapped a four- day losing streak. Banking shares rose before Wells Fargo and JPMorgan report first-quarter earnings that will lead off the season Friday.
The 10-year Treasury yield pushed toward 2.50 percent after data showed a strong U.S. labor market and tepid price gains. The dollar advanced the most in more than a week, while the pound fell as Prime Minister Theresa May accepted the European Union’s offer to push the Brexit deadline out six months. Oil in New York retreated from a five-month high as an increase in U.S. inventories to the highest since late 2017 overshadowed OPEC’s efforts to reduce production.
“People are not yet wholly embracing the rally that’s happened. I think that’s evident in some of the numbers,” Mike Stritch, chief investment officer for U.S. wealth management at BMO Wealth Management, said in an interview. “Earnings season is upon us. People are going to wait and see what expectations look like for the rest of the year. That’s going to be the key theme.” Investor optimism on global stocks and commodities has endured even as warnings about a global economic slowdown abound. That bullishness may be tested as companies report earnings. Caution over economic pullbacks has emerged in comments from the European Central Bank, the International Monetary Fund and in the Federal Reserve minutes — which reinforced expectations that interest rates should be on hold for the rest of this year.
In emerging markets, equities declined and were poised to snap their longest streak of gains in more than one year. India’s rupee strengthened as elections started.
Here are some notable events coming up:
* U.S. banks begin reporting first-quarter earnings, led by JPMorgan and Wells Fargo.
* Singapore decides on monetary policy and releases GDP data Friday.

These are the main moves in markets:
Stocks
* The S&P 500 Index was little changed at 2,888.32 as of 4:00 p.m. New York time.
* The Nasdaq Composite Index fell 0.2 percent, while the Dow industrial dropped 0.1 percent.
* The Stoxx Europe 600 Index increased 0.1 percent.
* The MSCI Asia Pacific Index sank 0.6 percent to the lowest in more than a week.
* The MSCI Emerging Market Index fell 0.8 percent, the first retreat in more than two weeks.
Currencies
* The Bloomberg Dollar Spot Index climbed 0.3 percent.
* The euro fell 0.2 percent at $1.1256.
* The Japanese yen dipped 0.6 percent to 111.64 per dollar.
* The British pound declined 0.2 percent to $1.3059.
* The MSCI Emerging Markets Currency Index was little changed.
Bonds
* The yield on 10-year Treasuries gained three basis points to2.495 percent.
* Germany’s 10-year yield climbed two basis points to -0.01percent.
* Britain’s 10-year yield advanced five basis points to 1.15 percent.
Commodities
* The Bloomberg Commodity Index sank 1 percent.
* West Texas crude fell 1.4 percent to $63.72 a barrel.
* Gold decreased 1.4 percent to $1,295.80 an ounce.
–With assistance from Randall Jensen and Eddie van der Walt.

Have a great night.

Be magnificent!
As ever,

Carolann

Fear or stupidity has always been the basis of most human actions.
                                                      -Albert Einstein, 1879-1955

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

Dear Friends,

Tangents:

The Stanley Cup

For someone who called Canada home for only about five years, Frederick Arthur Stanley certainly found effective ways for his name to live on. 

The park that dominates Vancouver’s downtown bears his name. Even more famously, there’s the Stanley Cup, the silver trophy he donated in 1892. (It cost about $50.) Top teams in the National Hockey League begin this year’s competition for it today.

Stanley was a British politician who was appointed governor general of Canada in 1888. Canadians were still British subjects, and he was Queen Victoria’s representative.

He created the hockey award because of his sons’ interest in the sport. Originally called the Dominion Challenge Trophy, it was for the best amateur team in Canada.

But there is no indication that the man who first awarded it ever picked up a stick and took to the ice. His passion was horse racing. -from The NY Times, 4/10/19.

April 10, 1849: Safety pin patented.

19,555: Estimated weight (in pounds) of Scotty, a Tyrannosaurus rex whose fossil remains were discovered in the province of Saskatchewan.  Scotty is the largest T. rex ever found, outweighing previous record-holder Sue by about 900 pounds.

Interesting app to check out: MinutePhysics YouTube channel: www.YouTube.com/user/minutephysics.

Scientists discovered a new human species.

PHOTOS OF THE DAY

Fishermen drag their net during the traditional Poutine fishing in Cagnes-Sur-Mer, France, April 9, 2019. Poutine are minute baby sardines which are exclusively fished between Antibes and Menton on the French Riviera for only 45 days each year at the end of the winter and fetch around 50 Euros per kilos at market. CREDIT: REUTERS/ERIC GAILLARD

English Heritage staff secure a temporary installation of giant inflatable snakes at Whitby Abbey in North Yorkshire, as the imposing ruin re-opens to the public today. The installation, to celebrate the charity’s £1.6 million revamping of the abbey including a new museum, is based on the legend of St Hild, the founder of the abbey who drove a plague of snakes over the cliffs where they turned to stone. The installation will remain on site until Sunday 14 April. CREDIT: JIM HOLDEN

Betty Bromage completes her Wing Walk this afternoon, Pilot David Barrell A daredevil grandmother is celebrating her 90^th birthday in spectacular style by taking on a series of adrenaline-fuelled charity challenges. At a time of life when others are content to sit back and retire gracefully, Betty Bromage is gearing up to not only complete a dizzying wing-walk hundreds of feet above the Gloucestershire countryside, but a high-octane zip line ride, and a thrilling abseil. The nonagenarian hopes her fearless exploits will help raise £10,000 to build a new summerhouse and wheelchair friendly community garden at the Abbeyfield Gloucestershire home in Cheltenham where she lives. CREDIT CHARLOTTE GRAHAM FOR THE DAILY TELEGRAPH.
Market Closes for April 10^th, 2019

Market Index	Close	Change
Dow Jones	26157.16	+6.58 +0.03%
S&P 500	2888.21	+10.01 +0.35%
NASDAQ	7964.242	+54.965 +0.69%
TSX	16396.29	+59.84
		+0.37%

International Markets

Market Index	Close	Change
NIKKEI	21687.57	-115.02
		-0.53%
HANG SENG	30119.56	-37.93
		-0.13%
SENSEX	38585.35	-353.87
		-0.91%
FTSE 100*	7421.91y	-3.66
		-0.05%

Bonds

Bonds		% Yield		Previous % Yield
CND. 10 Year Bond		1.682		1.728
CND. 30 Year Bond		1.978		2.008
U.S.    10 Year Bond		2.4649		2.5024
U.S. 30 Year Bond		2.8946		2.9133

Currencies

BOC Close	Today	Previous
Canadian $	0.75101	0.75044
US $	1.33165	1.33254
Euro Rate 1 Euro=		Inverse
Canadian $	1.50142	0.66603
US $	1.12753	0.88690

Commodities

Gold	Close	Previous
London Gold Fix	1303.00	1300.00
Oil
WTI Crude Future	64.61	63.98

Market Commentary:
On this day in 2000, Jeffrey M. Applegate, chief U.S. investment strategist at Lehman Brothers, recommended that his clients have at least 60% of their portfolios in tech stocks, nearly twice the market weighting. Over the next year, tech stocks lost over half their value as their earnings growth completely disappeared.
Canada
By Aoyon Ashraf
(Bloomberg) — Canadian stocks rebounded from their first drop in seven days as oil prices rose and soft U.S. inflation was seen as encouraging a dovish tone from central bankers. The pot sector also rose after a two-day decline.
The S&P/TSX Composite Index added 0.4 percent to 16,396.29 in Toronto. Energy stocks rose as crude traded near a five-month high, boosted by a sharp drop in U.S. gasoline stockpiles.
Aurora Cannabis Inc. was among the best performers in pot stocks after saying it will expand a production facility by one-third to support global demand for high-quality medical pot.
In other moves:
Stocks
* Energy stocks that advanced included Baytex Energy Corp., Whitecap Resources Inc., MEG Energy Corp. and Crescent Point Energy Corp.
* Shaw Communications Inc. added 0.9 percent, rebounding from Tuesday’s 3.3 percent drop. The telecom firm added fewer wireless subscribers than analysts expected in its fiscal second quarter
Commodities
* Western Canada Select crude oil traded at a $8.90 discount to WTI
* Gold rose 0.3 percent to $1,312.30 an ounce
FX/Bonds
* The Canadian dollar was little changed at C$1.33227 per U.S. dollar
* The Canada 10-year government bond yield fell 5 basis points to 1.683 percent
US
By Randall Jensen and Vildana Hajric
(Bloomberg) — U.S. stocks advanced, while Treasuries held gains after Federal Reserve meeting minutes confirmed the central bank’s dovish tilt on policy this year. The dollar declined.
The S&P 500 rebounded from its first loss in nine days as unexpectedly soft inflation reading potentially boosted the Fed’s new wait-and-see approach to rate hikes. The bank’s March minutes showed that a majority of committee members saw risks warranting rates on hold through 2019.
“I think this confirms the message that we got from the March meeting,” said James McCann, senior economist at Aberdeen Standard Investments, which has about $736 billion in assets under management. “This is a Fed that’s pretty happy to just sit on its hands for the time being and stay on hold and see how some of these cross currents play out.”
Tech shares paced the advance, boosting the Nasdaq indexes. Boeing continued its slide in the wake of the 737 Max fallout, helping to hold down the Dow Jones Industrial Average. The dollar slid against the euro after European Central Bank President Mario Draghi reiterated warnings that global risks continue to batter the region’s economy as the ECB signaled no rate hikes for the rest of 2019. The pound advanced as the European Union leaders met in Brussels to hash out the terms of a Brexit delay.
The weaker-than-expected inflation data has heightened the focus on Fed policy, as investors try to figure out what it will take to budge the central bank out of its steady approach. The central bank’s minutes offered few clues. Sentiment remains fragile after the ECB’s and IMF’s somber economic reports Tuesday, and amid an escalation of the U.S.-EU trade dispute while negotiations with China remain unsettled.
Elsewhere, Israeli stocks climbed as Benjamin Netanyahu looks set for a fifth term as prime minister after a bruising election campaign. Oil futures gained as speculation that supplies will tighten outweighed Russian caution on more output cuts. Emerging-market stocks advanced for a 10th day, extending their longest run since January 2018.
Here are some notable events coming up:
* U.S. banks begin reporting first-quarter earnings, led by JPMorgan and Wells Fargo.
* The spring meetings of the World Bank Group and the IMF continue in Washington.

These are the main moves in markets:
Stocks
* The S&P 500 Index gained 0.4 percent to 2,888.21 as of 4:00 p.m. New York time.
* The Dow Jones Industrial Average was little changed.
* The Nasdaq Composite Index rose 0.7 percent, while the Nasdaq 100 added 0.6 percent.
* The Stoxx Europe 600 Index rose 0.3 percent.
* The MSCI Emerging Market Index gained 0.3 percent, hitting the highest in almost 10 months.
Currencies
* The Bloomberg Dollar Spot Index fell 0.1 percent.
* The euro rose 0.1 percent to $1.1273.
* The British pound increased 0.3 percent to $1.3095.
* The Japanese yen gained 0.2 percent to 110.95 per dollar.
Bonds
* The yield on 10-year Treasuries fell three basis points to 2.47 percent.
* Germany’s 10-year yield fell two basis points to -0.03 percent.
* Britain’s 10-year yield dropped less than one basis point to 1.119 percent.
Commodities
* West Texas Intermediate crude increased 0.8 percent to $64.46 a barrel.
* Gold rose 0.3 percent $1,312.30 an ounce.
* The Bloomberg Commodity Index gained 0.5 percent.
–With assistance from Sarah Ponczek and Robert Brand.

Have a great night.

Be magnificent!
As ever,

Carolann

One man that has a mind and knows it can always beat ten men who haven’t and don’t.
                                                                        -George Bernard Shaw, 1856-1950

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

Dear Friends,

Tangents:
1865 – US Civil War ends.
1866 – US Civil Rights Bill passed.
1917 – Canadians Capture Vimy Ridge.  Go to article »
Source: History.com
PHOTOS OF THE DAY

Women dressed in historical costumes making their way to a photo session making the start of the asparagus harvesting season in a field in Beelitz, eastern Germany. FROM THE TELEGRAPH, 4.9.19.

Indian married women take part in the Gangaur festival in Udaipur, in Rajasthan state. During the Gangaur festival, married women worship the Hindu goddess Gauri, consort of the deity Shiva. CREDIT: HIMANSHU SHARMA/AFP/GETTY IMAGES.

Workers checking the tulips in Britain’s last remaining bulb field near King’s Lynn, Norfolk, UK, in the warm spring sunshine. Siblings Finley and Aimee Everitt tiptoed through the tulips with the flowers blooming two weeks early this year. CREDIT: GEOFF ROBINSON
Market Closes for April 9^th, 2019

Market Index	Close	Change
Dow Jones	26150.58	-190.44 -0.72%
S&P 500	2878.20	-17.57 -0.61%
NASDAQ	7909.277	-44.607 -0.56%
TSX	16336.45	-70.84
		-0.43%

International Markets

Market Index	Close	Change
NIKKEI	21802.59	+40.94
		+0.19%
HANG SENG	30157.49	+80.34
		+0.27%
SENSEX	38939.22	+238.69
		+0.62%
FTSE 100*	7425.57y	-26.32
		-0.35%

Bonds

Bonds		% Yield		Previous % Yield
CND. 10 Year Bond		1.728		1.734
CND. 30 Year Bond		2.008		2.003
U.S.    10 Year Bond		2.5024		2.5186
U.S. 30 Year Bond		2.9133		2.9227

Currencies

BOC Close	Today	Previous
Canadian $	0.75044	0.75117
US $	1.33254	1.33125
Euro Rate 1 Euro=		Inverse
Canadian $	1.50089	0.66627
US $	1.12639	0.88780

Commodities

Gold	Close	Previous
London Gold Fix	1300.00	1288.45
Oil
WTI Crude Future	63.98	64.40

Market Commentary:
On this day in 1998, K-Tel International, which sold compilations of old rock’n’roll songs on late-night TV, announced that it would soon begin selling music over the Internet. The stock, which closed at $6.63 the day before, surged to $67.75 by May 4. Within two years, the stock had been delisted from Nasdaq and traded at about $2 a share.
Canada
By Aoyon Ashraf
(Bloomberg) — Canadian stocks snapped six days of gains on Tuesday, falling along with U.S. equities, as pot stocks underperformed for a second straight session. The S&P/TSX Composite Index fell 0.4 percent to 16,336.45. The pot sector contributed to the decline in health care, the worst performing sector, dropping again after Cowen cut revenue estimates for several marijuana stocks yesterday, citing expectations for “modest” growth in first quarter.
Meanwhile, Canadian market potential for legal marijuana continues to be hindered by a patchwork of provincial regulations, according to a new report. Canadian sales are expected to grow to $5.2 billion in 2024, Arcview Market Research and BDS Analytics said. That’s down from a January forecast of $5.9 billion by 2022.
Stocks
* Gold miners rose as bullion gained on tension from Europe-U.S. tariff threats. Endeavour Mining, New Gold, Eldorado Gold were among gainers
* Canada Goose climbed after planning to open six new stores in 2019
* Pot companies led by CannTrust, Hexo were among the decliners
Commodities
* Western Canada Select crude oil traded at a $8.40 discount to WTI
* Gold spot price rose 0.6 percent to $1,304.57 an ounce
FX/Bonds
* The Canadian dollar fell 0.08 percent to C$1.3324 per U.S. dollar
* The Canada 10-year government bond yield fell to 1.728 percent
US
By Randall Jensen and Sarah Ponczek
(Bloomberg) — U.S. stocks ended the longest winning streak in 18 months Tuesday amid renewed concerns about slowing global growth and an escalation of trade tensions. Treasuries advanced.
The S&P 500 fell for the first time in nine sessions as the Trump administration threatened tariffs on the European Union and the International Monetary Fund cut its global growth outlook to the lowest since the financial crisis. Multinationals bore the brunt of the selling, with Caterpillar and Boeing dragging the Dow Jones Industrial Average lower. Airlines tumbled along with materials and energy producers.
Ten-year Treasury yields fell below 2.50 percent, while the greenback was mixed against major currencies. The pound dropped
as the EU looked set to force the U.K to delay Brexit for as long as a year.
“Equity markets have been up for a really long time,” Josh Kutin, head of asset allocation for North America at Columbia Threadneedle Investments, said in an interview at Bloomberg’s New York headquarters. “It seems that there is just more and more data coming in which is suggesting the economy is slowing down — not in a recession, but slowing down,” he said, adding the IMF’s outlook cut is “sort of endemic of what’s going on right now.”
Investors remain on edge as the IMF’s latest report on global growth helped renew fears about a slowing world economy just as the U.S. and the EU appeared to open another front in their trade war, all while negotiations with China remain unsettled. Federal Reserve minutes, American inflation data and a European Central Bank decision later this week could add to anxieties or help provide calm.
Elsewhere, Saudi Aramco, the world’s largest oil company, received more than $100 billion in orders for its debut bond sale, kick-starting an offering with yields likely to fall in line with or below Saudi Arabia’s sovereign debt. Israel’s stocks climbed with the shekel as the country went to the polls. Emerging-market currencies and shares advanced. Crude held near a five-month high.
Here are some notable events coming up:
* U.S. banks begin reporting first-quarter earnings, led by JPMorgan and Wells Fargo.
* The annual Spring Meetings of the World Bank Group and the IMF begin in Washington Tuesday.
* The Federal Reserve release minutes of its March meeting Wednesday.
* The ECB will probably leave its key interest rates unchanged Wednesday. Investors will be looking for further details on TLTRO.

These are the main moves in markets:
Stocks
* The S&P 500 Index fell 0.6 percent to 2,878.24 as of 4 p.m. New York time, the most since March 22.
* The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.7 percent.
* The Stoxx Europe 600 Index decreased 0.5 percent.
* The MSCI Asia Pacific Index gained 0.4 percent.
* The MSCI Emerging Market Index rose 0.4 percent.
Currencies
* The Bloomberg Dollar Spot Index was little changed.
* The euro was steady at $1.1263.
* The Japanese yen increased 0.3 percent to 111.12 per dollar.
* The British pound fell 0.1 percent to $1.3054.
* The MSCI Emerging Markets Currency Index advanced 0.2 percent.
Bonds
* The yield on 10-year Treasuries sank two basis points to 2.49 percent.
* Germany’s 10-year yield declined two basis points to -0.01 percent.
* Britain’s 10-year yield dipped two basis points to 1.099 percent.
Commodities
* The Bloomberg Commodity Index fell 0.2 percent.
* West Texas crude fell 0.5 percent to $64.05 a barrel.
* Gold gained 0.5 percent to $1,308.10 an ounce.
–With assistance from Javier Blas, Eddie van der Walt and Vildana Hajric.

Have a great night.

Be magnificent!
As ever,

Carolann

 
Logic will get you from A to B.  Imagination will take you everywhere.
                                                         -Albert Einstein, 1879-1955

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

Dear Friends,

Tangents: Happy Monday!
Today is Buddha’s birthday ~ Siddhartha, “the enlightened one.”  Buddha is Sanskrit for “the Enlightened”.  It was the title given to Prince Siddhartha or Gautama (c. 563-483 BC), the founder of Buddhism.  He is also called Sakyamuni from the name of the Sakyas, the warrior people into whom he was born.  This title means “Sakya sage”.

April 8, 2009 – Somali pirates hijacked the U.S.-flagged Maersk Alabama. (The crew retook the cargo ship, and Navy sharpshooters killed two pirates holding the ship’s American captain.) Go to article »
PHOTOS OF THE DAY

British Sculptor Nic Fiddian-Green puts the finishing touches to his new 6m high copper horse in his Surrey studio, before it is transported to Venice in Italy for the Biennale Art fair, which runs from May 1 to July 31. CREDIT: STEVE PARSONS/PA

Participants in a re-enactment of the Battle of Dintingdale, from the Wars of the Roses, take a break at the Royal Armouries at Leeds Dock, West Yorkshire. CREDIT: CHARLOTTE GRAHAM FOR THE TELEGRAPH

Re-enactors dressed as Star Wars characters attend on the second day of the Scarborough Sci-Fi weekend in the North Yorkshire seaside town. CREDIT: IAN FORSYTH/GETTY IMAGES
Market Closes for April 8^th, 2019

Market Index	Close	Change
Dow Jones	26341.02	-83.97 -0.32%
S&P 500	2895.77	+3.03 +0.10%
NASDAQ	7953.883	+15.191 +0.19%
TSX	16407.29	+11.14
		+0.07%

International Markets

Market Index	Close	Change
NIKKEI	21761.65	-45.85
		-0.21%
HANG SENG	30077.15	+140.83
		+0.47%
SENSEX	38700.53	-161.70
		-0.42%
FTSE 100*	7451.89y	+5.02
		+0.07%

Bonds

Bonds		% Yield		Previous % Yield
CND. 10 Year Bond		1.734		1.711
CND. 30 Year Bond		2.003		1.993
U.S.    10 Year Bond		2.5186		2.5223
U.S. 30 Year Bond		2.9227		2.9321

Currencies

BOC Close	Today	Previous
Canadian $	0.75117	0.74934
US $	1.33125	1.33442
Euro Rate 1 Euro=		Inverse
Canadian $	1.49932	0.66697
US $	1.12624	0.88791

Commodities

Gold	Close	Previous
London Gold Fix	1288.45	1290.30
Oil
WTI Crude Future	64.40	62.46

Market Commentary:
April 1999 was the first month ever to gain 1000 Dow Points.
Canada
By Michael Bellusci
(Bloomberg) — Canadian stocks rallied late Monday to close positive, extending gains made all last week.
The S&P/TSX Composite Index rose 0.07 percent to 16,407.29. Energy and materials gained while health care dropped. Canadian pot stocks retreated after Cowen cut revenue estimates on the expectation that first-quarter growth will be modest.
Separately, Justin Trudeau’s government is threatening to crack down on Google, Facebook Inc. and Twitter Inc., saying the tech giants aren’t doing enough to help fight meddling in the lead-up to Canada’s fall election.
In other moves:
Stocks
* Crescent Point Energy Corp. rallied 12.2%
* Gran Tierra Energy Inc. gained 7.6%
* Valeura Energy Inc. advanced 11.5% after a mention in The Telegraph
* Painted Pony Energy Ltd. rose 7.7%
* Harvest Health & Recreation Inc. fell 7.4%; block of 1.88m shares traded earlier
* Village Farms International Inc. lost 7.9%
Commodities
* Western Canada Select crude oil traded at a $8.15 discount to WTI
* Gold rose 0.5 percent to $1,301.90 an ounce
FX/Bonds
* The Canadian dollar strengthened 0.5 percent to C$1.3312 per U.S. dollar
* The Canada 10-year government bond yield rose to 1.73 percent
US
By Randall Jensen and Vildana Hajric
(Bloomberg) — Stocks edged higher, with the S&P 500 extending its longest rally since 2017 to eight days, as investors awaited signs of progress in the trade war with China ahead of the latest corporate earnings season. Treasuries dropped, while West Texas crude hit a five-month high.
The S&P 500 eked out a gain in thin volumes, rising to about 1.3 percent from its all-time high. However, catalysts remained scant Monday after trade talks ended last week in Washington without any timetable for an agreement. Apple lifted the Nasdaq 100, while energy producers rose along with oil prices. General Electric tumbled after JPMorgan cut its rating on the stock and Boeing dropping amid the ongoing fallout surrounding the 737 Max airplane.
Crude extended its advance as an escalation of fighting in OPEC producer Libya overshadowed the biggest increase in U.S. active rigs since May. The dollar fell for the first time in three sessions.
“Today we’re just taking a bit of a breather,” said Evan Brown, head of macro asset allocation strategy at UBS Asset Management, in a phone interview. “We’ve had a good run higher in equities and I wouldn’t be surprised if there’s a little bit of profit taking ahead of a few events — earnings, and we have the ECB and Fed minutes later this week. So it’s just a period of digestion here.”
Following a stellar first quarter across many assets classes, investors are assessing prospects for further gains as the U.S-China seem unable to come to a final decision on trade and earnings season gets underway. Despite a lack of details emerging from last week’s discussions, Trump economic adviser Larry Kudlow said the two sides are closer to a deal, and that top-tier officials would be talking this week. A better U.S. jobs report Friday didn’t stop President Trump from suggesting the Fed should cut interest rates.
Elsewhere, the pound edged higher as British Prime Minister Theresa May appealed to both the public and politicians in search of support for a compromise Brexit plan. In Turkey, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan cited “widespread irregularities” in local elections in Istanbul, sending the lira lower.
Here are some notable events coming up:
* U.S. banks begin reporting first-quarter earnings, led by JPMorgan and Wells Fargo.
* Israel votes in an election Tuesday.
* The annual Spring Meetings of the World Bank Group and the IMF begin in Washington Tuesday.
* The ECB will probably leave its key interest rates unchanged Wednesday. Investors will be looking for further details on TLTRO.
These are the main moves in markets:
Stocks
* The S&P 500 Index rose 0.1 percent as of 4:01 p.m. New York time.
* The Nasdaq 100 gained 0.3 percent, while the Down Jones Industrial Average fell 0.3 percent.
* The Stoxx Europe 600 Index decreased 0.2 percent.
* The MSCI Emerging Market Index rose 0.4 percent, hitting the highest in more than eight months.
* The MSCI Asia Pacific Index gained 0.2 percent to the highest in about six months.
Currencies
* The Bloomberg Dollar Spot Index fell 0.2 percent.
* The euro increased 0.4 percent to $1.1261, the strongest in almost two weeks.
* The British pound climbed 0.2 percent to $1.3062.
* The Japanese yen gained 0.2 percent to 111.46 per dollar.
Bonds
* The yield on 10-year Treasuries gained two basis points to 2.51 percent.
* Germany’s 10-year yield fell less than one basis point to 0.004 percent.
* Britain’s 10-year yield decreased one basis point to 1.107 percent.
Commodities
* West Texas Intermediate crude rose 2 percent to $64.36 a barrel, the highest in five months.
* Gold advanced 0.5 percent to $1,301.90 an ounce, the highest in more than a week.
–With assistance from Cormac Mullen, Adam Haigh, Sarah Ponczek and Yakob Peterseil.

Have  a great night.

Be magnificent!
As ever,

Carolann

Take sides.  Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim.  Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented.
-Elie Wiesel, 1928-2016

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