July 4, 2017 Newsletter

Dear Friends,

Tangents:

Carolann is out of the office this afternoon, I will be writing the newsletter on her behalf.

PHOTOS OF THE DAY

The Red Arrows perform for the Wales Air show in Swansea Bay. A record-breaking crowd of 250,000 was thought to have attended the two-day event. Before the show opened, organizers warned the use of drones was “strictly prohibited”.
CREDIT: DIMITRIS LEGAKIS/ATHENA PICTURES


Male giant panda twin cubs, born to mother Zhizhi at the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding in China, on April 24, are doing well.
CREDIT: LOLA LEVAN/EPA
Market Closes for July 4th, 2017

Market

Index

Close Change
Dow

Jones

21479.27 Closed

 

 

 
S&P 500 2429.01 Closed

 

 
NASDAQ 6140.422 Closed

 

 

 
TSX 15130.61 -51.58

 

-0.34%

International Markets

Market

Index

Close Change
NIKKEI 20032.35 -23.45
-0.12%
HANG

SENG

25389.01 -395.16
-1.53%
SENSEX 31209.79 -11.83
-0.04%
FTSE 100* 7357.23 -19.86
-0.27%

Bonds

Bonds % Yield Previous  % Yield
CND.

10 Year Bond

1.838 1.772
CND.

30 Year

Bond

2.193 2.149
U.S.   

10 Year Bond

2.3499 2.2984
U.S.

30 Year Bond

2.8669 2.8309

Currencies

BOC Close Today Previous  
Canadian $ 0.77305 0.76877
US

$

1.29358 1.30077
     
Euro Rate

1 Euro=

  Inverse
Canadian $ 1.46790 0.68124
US

$

1.13476 0.88125

Commodities

Gold Close Previous
London Gold

Fix

1223.75 1242.25
     
Oil Close Previous
WTI Crude Future 47.07 46.04

Market Commentary:
Canada
By Natalie Wong

     (Bloomberg) — Canadian stocks fell, with losses in materials and technology shares offsetting a slight gain in financials amid low trading volume.
     The S&P/TSX Composite Index dropped 0.3 percent to 15,130.61 Tuesday, when U.S. markets were closed for Independence Day. Materials fell 1.6 percent as rising U.S. interest rates and equities tarnish silver, pushing down prices of the precious metal. Pan American Silver Corp. fell 4.2 percent and First Majestic Silver Corp. dropped 6.1 percent.
     Gold stocks declined as Tanzania approved two laws that enable the government to renegotiate contracts with mining and energy companies to boost revenue. Barrick Gold Corp. fell 3 percent and Goldcorp Inc. lost 3.1 percent.
     Tech stocks fell 1.7 percent as all companies on the index declined. Kinaxis Inc. lost 2.6 percent and Shopify Inc. dropped 2.3 percent.
     In other moves:
* Financials were little changed as the Bank of Montreal rose 0.6 percent and Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce gained 0.7 percent, offsetting declines in Brookfield Asset Management Inc. and Manulife Financial Corp.
* NexGen Energy Ltd. rose 5.2 percent, extending Friday’s gain after Hong Kong billionaire Li Ka-shing doubled down on his investment in the Canadian uranium explorer
* Health care stocks dropped 1.3 percent as Valeant Pharmaceuticals International Inc. fell 2.7 percent and Knight Therapeutics Inc. declined 1.1 percent
US
US markets are closed today.

Have a wonderful evening everyone.

 

Be magnificent!

“It is our attitude at the beginning of a difficult task which, more than anything else, will affect It’s successful outcome.”
-William James 

As ever,

 

Karen

 

“I feel that there is nothing more truly artistic than to love people.” Vincent Van Gogh 


Carolann Steinhoff, B.Sc., CFP®, CIM, CIWM
Portfolio Manager &
Senior Vice-President

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

June 30, 2017 Newsletter

Dear Friends,

Tangents:
On June 30, 1971, the Supreme Court, in a 6-3 decision, freed The New York Times and The Washington Post to resume immediate publication of articles based on the secret Pentagon Papers on the origins of the Vietnam War.

Go to article »

My philosophy is it’s none of my business what people say of me and think of me.  I am what I am, and I do what I do.  I expect nothing and accept everything.  And it makes life so much easier. –Anthony Hopkins.
PHOTOS OF THE DAY

Young children catch paper helicopters falling from the sky as the world’s most popular colour of Marrs Green is revealed during the exhibition “Paper City” in Hull, England.  After a major global survey by Hull based paper company, G.F. Smith, the world’s favourite colour was revealed.
CREDIT: PHOTO BY CHRISTOPHER FURLONG/GETTY


Undated handout photo issued by the National Trust of a rare male Purple Emperor butterfly, which has put in its earliest appearance in more than 120 years after warm spring temperatures, experts said.
CREDIT: MATTHEW OATES/NATIONAL TRUST IMAGES.
Market Closes for June 30th, 2017 

Market

Index

Close Change
Dow

Jones

21350.69 +63.66

 

+0.30%

 
S&P 500 2431.58 +11.88

+0.49%

 
NASDAQ 6140.422 -3.929

 

-0.06%

 
TSX 15183.01 -30.41

 

-0.20%

International Markets

Market

Index

Close Change
NIKKEI 20033.43 -186.87
-0.92%
HANG

SENG

25764.58 -200.84
-0.77%
SENSEX 30921.61 +64.09
+0.21%
FTSE 100* 7312.72 -37.60
-0.51%

Bonds

Bonds % Yield Previous  % Yield
CND.

10 Year Bond

1.772 1.705
CND.

30 Year

Bond

2.149 2.116
U.S.   

10 Year Bond

2.2984 2.2648
U.S.

30 Year Bond

2.8309 2.8142

Currencies

BOC Close Today Previous  
Canadian $ 0.77114 0.76877
US

$

1.29679 1.30077
     
Euro Rate

1 Euro=

  Inverse
Canadian $ 1.48119 0.67517
US

$

1.14216 0.87554

Commodities

Gold Close Previous
London Gold

Fix

1242.25 1243.50
     
Oil Close Previous
WTI Crude Future 46.04 44.93

Market Commentary:
On this day in 1952, the New York Stock Exchange’s first nationwide survey of stock ownership finds 6.5 million Americans, or 4% of the total population, own common stock.

Number of the Day

1.3%
The percentage that the KBW Nasdaq Bank Index of U.S. commercial lenders rose Thursday.
Canada
By Kristine Owra

     (Bloomberg) — In a microcosm of year-to-date trading patterns, Canadian stocks closed lower while their U.S. counterparts rose on the last trading day of the second quarter.
     The S&P/TSX Composite Index fell 31 points or 0.2 percent to 15,182.19 amid lower-than-usual volume ahead of holidays in Canada and the U.S. The benchmark lost 2.4 percent in the second quarter, making it the worst performer among developed world indexes. It is down 0.7 percent year-to-date, significantly underperforming the 8.2 percent gain on the S&P 500.
     The energy index led the decline with a 0.4 percent drop even as the price of crude jumped 2.5 percent. Financials were down 0.4 percent as bond yields steadied.
     In other moves:
* NexGen Energy Ltd. jumped 8.7 percent, its biggest gain since November, after entering into an agreement with CEF Holdings Ltd. for a financing package worth $110 million
* Cameco Corp. fell 3.8 percent. The company was cut to underperform at BofAML on a continued uranium supply glut
* Aeterna Zentaris Inc. gained 2.3 percent after resubmitting its FDA application seeking approval of its Macrilen drug.
US
By Oliver Renick

     (Bloomberg) — U.S. stocks climbed for the 3rd time this week as industrials led advances in every industry group in the S&P 500. European markets were little changed after their worst 3-day selloff in almost eight months, as a rebound in the recently hammered technology stocks countered bank losses.
     U.S. Market
* S&P 500 up 0.2% to 2,423
* Dow Industrials up 0.3% to 21,350
* Nasdaq Composite down 0.1%
* Consumer discretionary shares jump 0.6%
* Industrial, materials shares up at least 0.5%
* Financial stocks reverse earlier gains, down less than 0.1%
* Real estate and health-care stocks little changed
* Energy up 0.4% as oil jumped 2.9%
** Oil rose for a 7th day, its longest advance this year, as signs of slipping U.S. supply eased pressure on OPEC-led curbs
* The S&P 500 surged 8.2% in the 1H of the year; technology stocks, the best performers in the period, have recently been giving up gains
* Banks rallied this week as they boosted shareholder payouts after clearing annual stress tests, and benefited from speculation of higher interest rates following central banker comments
* POLITICS:
** The Trump administration is preparing to make a decision on steel tariffs, though it’s likely to miss a self-imposed deadline to conclude its investigation today, according to a White House official
** Trump on Friday said that if Republican senators can’t strike a deal on their health bill, they should immediately repeal Obamacare and then replace it later
* ECONOMY:
** U.S. June MNI Chicago Report rises to 65.7 vs est. 58; forecast range 55-60.9 from 38 economists surveyed
** After-tax disposable income adjusted for inflation climbed 0.6 percent in May, the most since April 2015, Commerce Department data showed Friday
* EARNINGS: none 

 

Have a wonderful weekend everyone.

 

Be magnificent!

In the search for the Truth, for dharma, the real effort does not preclude action
(does not consist in neglecting action), but by trying to accord oneself more and more exactly
with the exterior harmony.  The currency of this effort is in becoming:
whatever work you take on, dedicate it to Brahman.

 Rabindranath Tagore.

As ever,

 

 

Carolann

 

 

Every noble work is at first impossible.
          -Thomas Carlyle, 1795-1881

Carolann Steinhoff, B.Sc., CFP®, CIM, CIWM
Portfolio Manager &
Senior Vice-President

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

June 29, 2017 Newsletter

Dear Friends,

Tangents:
On June 29, 1995, the shuttle Atlantis and the Russian space station Mir docked, forming the largest man-made satellite ever to orbit the Earth.

Go to article »
700 MILLION: Time (in years) that the Gale Crater on Mars had the right conditions to support life, according to new findings from NASA’s Curiosity rover. 

Robert Burke and William John Wills accomplished the first crossing of Australia from south to north, reaching the Gulf of Carpentaria in February, 1861.  Both died of starvation at Cooper’s Creek on the return journey; John King, another member of the expedition, survived.  Will’s last entry in his Journal, dated June 29th, 1861: 

Clear, cold night, slight breeze from the east, day beautifully warm and pleasant.  Mr. Burke suffers greatly from the cold and is getting extremely weak; he and King start tomorrow up the creek to look for the blacks [aborigines]; it is the only chance we have of being saved from starvation.  I am weaker than ever, although I have a good appetite and relish the nardoo [a seed cake] much; but it seems to give us no nutriment, and the birds here are so shy as to not to be got at.  Even if we got a good supply of fish, I doubt whether we could do much work on them and the nardoo alone.  Nothing now but the greatest good luck can save any of us; and as for myself I may live four or five days if the weather continues warm.  My pulse is at forty-eight, and very weak, and my legs and arms are nearly skin and bone.  I can only look out, like Mr. Micawber, “for something to turn up”;  starvation on nardoo is by no means very unpleasant, but for the weakness one feels, and the utter inability to move one’s self; for as far as appetite is concerned, it gives the greatest satisfaction.

Birthday: June 29, 1861, William James Mayo, cofounder of the Mayo Clinic.
Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect. –Mark Twain.
PHOTOS OF THE DAY

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi spins cotton during a visit to the Gandhi Ashram in Ahmedabad, India. AMIT DAVE/REUTERS

A police officer looks at a hole in the road that swallowed a car in St. Louis. CHRISTIAN GOODEN/ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH/ASSOCIATED PRESS
Market Closes for June 29th, 2017 

Market

Index

Close Change
Dow

Jones

21287.03 -167.58

 

 -0.78%

 
S&P 500 2419.70 -20.99

 

-0.86%

 
NASDAQ 6144.352 -90.063

 

-1.44%

 
TSX 15213.42 -142.16

 

-0.93%

International Markets

Market

Index

Close Change
NIKKEI 20220.30 +89.89
+0.45%
HANG

SENG

25965.42 +281.92
+1.10%
SENSEX 30857.52 +23.20
-0.08%
FTSE 100* 7350.32 -37.48
-0.51%

Bonds

Bonds % Yield Previous  % Yield
CND.

10 Year Bond

1.705 1.613
CND.

30 Year

Bond

2.116 2.058
U.S.   

10 Year Bond

2.2648 2.2191
U.S.

30 Year Bond

2.8142 2.7728

Currencies

BOC Close Today Previous  
Canadian $ 0.76877 0.76705
US

$

1.30077 1.30369
     
Euro Rate

1 Euro=

  Inverse
Canadian $ 1.48751 0.67227
US

$

1.14406 0.87408

Commodities

Gold Close Previous
London Gold

Fix

1243.50 1248.00
     
Oil Close Previous
WTI Crude Future 44.93 44.74

Market Commentary:
On this day in 2007, the Apple iPhone goes on sale.

Number of the Day 

$10
The price at which Blue Apron sold shares in its IPO, well below its initial range of between $15 and $17 apiece. 

Canada
By Kristine Owram

     (Bloomberg) — Canadian stocks tumbled in a broad-based decline as investors weighed the implications of hawkish comments from central banks around the world.
     The S&P/TSX Composite Index lost 142 points , or 0.9 percent, to 15,213.42, its lowest close in six trading days. The benchmark fell below its 200-day moving average (15,271) on slower than usual volume ahead of holidays in Canada and the U.S.
     Materials shares slumped 1.8 percent, pressured by gold stocks, which tend to underperform when interest rates are rising. The energy index lost 0.8 percent even as crude prices gained 0.4 percent. Financial stocks slipped 0.3 percent.

     In other moves:
* Shaw Communications Inc. lost 5.1 percent, leading the telecom index lower, as investors fled dividend stocks ahead of a potential Bank of Canada rate hike on July 12
* Jean Coutu Group Inc. fell 4.2 percent. Quebec said it will seek lower generic drug prices after negotiations over a compromise plan with pharmaceutical companies fell through
* Shopify Inc. lost 3.5 percent as the tech index tumbled 1.7 percent. Renewed selling in the sector sent U.S. software and chipmaker shares to the lowest in seven weeks.
US
By Samuel Potter and Jeremy Herron

     (Bloomberg) — The shift in tone from central banks in Europe and the U.S. continued to drive financial markets, with stocks and bonds selling off and currencies from the euro to the loonie padding gains versus the dollar.
     The U.S. technology sector’s woes deepened as renewed selling in the year’s biggest winners sent software and chipmaker shares to the lowest in seven weeks. Investors rotated into banks after the Federal Reserve cleared them to repurchase stocks. The 10-year Treasury note rate topped 2.26 percent, while government debt in Europe sold off faster on hawkish sings from the European Central Bank. The euro hit the highest level in more than a year and sterling rose a seventh day.
     Volatility returned the financial markets as investors grapple with the fallout from central banks that seem intent on raising interest rates amid signs that the global economy is picking up steam, signaling the start of the end to nine years of stimulus. Tech remained a victim of investor rotation from growth to value stocks, suggesting that investors may be questioning the growth prospects in the world’s largest economy.
          Here are some key upcoming events and data releases:
* The Trump travel restrictions start from 8 p.m. New York time today, a person familiar said.
* China’s PMI might have declined in June after unexpectedly remaining unchanged in May, reflecting government offers to cut overcapacity and leverage. That reading is due Friday.
* Japan’s calendar is even heavier with economic data on Friday, with reports due on inflation, factory output, unemployment, household consumption and housing starts.
     These are the main moves in markets:
     Stocks
* The S&P 500 Index fell 0.9 percent as of 4 p.m. in New York, paring a drop that at its worst reached 1.4 percent. It’s still up 2.4 percent in the quarter.
* Goldman Sachs Group Inc. and JPMorgan Chase & Co. rose more than 0.5 percent, the only two members of the Dow Jones Industrial Average to advance.
* The Nasdaq 100 Index lost 1.7 percent, pushing its loss in June past 2 percent. The measure rose as much as 21 percent this year, before a selloff that started three weeks ago took 3 percent back.
* The Stoxx Europe 600 Index fell 1.3. Emerging-market equities were little changed.
     Currencies
* The Bloomberg Dollar Spot Index fell 0.2 percent.
* The euro increased 0.6 percent to $1.1444, for the highest level since last year’s Brexit vote.
* The pound climbed 0.6 percent to $1.3000, heading for a seventh straight day of gains, the longest winning streak since April 2015.
* The Canadian dollar rose 0.3 percent after jumping 1.2 percent on Wednesday as Bank of Canada Governor Stephen Poloz reiterated he’s considering tighter policy.
     Commodities
* WTI futures advanced 19 cents to $44.93 a barrel, capping a sixth day of advances and the longest rally since April. Prices gained as government data showed a drop in U.S. gasoline supplies that have remained stubbornly high at the start of the summer driving season.
* Gold futures fell 0.4 percent to $1,244.30 an ounce.
* Copper futures jumped 1 percent, advancing for a seventh day.
     Bonds
* The yield on 10-year Treasuries rose four basis points to 2.27 percent, after gaining two basis points on Wednesday and jumping seven basis points in the previous session.
* The yield on U.K. gilts increased 10 basis points to 1.25 percent. French 10-year yields added seven basis points, as did those of 10-year German bunds.
 

Have a wonderful evening everyone.

Be magnificent!

Civilization, in the real sense of the term, consists not in the multiplication
but in the deliberate and voluntary restriction of the wants.
This alone promotes real happiness and contentment, and increases the capacity for service.
A certain degree of physical harmony and comfort is necessary, but above that level,
it becomes a hindrance instead of a help.
Therefore the ideal of creating an unlimited number of wants and satisfying them
seems to be a delusion and a snare.  The satisfaction of one’s physical needs, even the intellectual needs
of one’s narrow self, must meet at a point a dead stop before it degenerates into physical
and intellectual voluptuousness.  A man must arrange his physical and cultural circumstances
so that they may not hinder him in his service of humanity,
on which all his energies should be concentrated.
Mahatma Gandhi

As ever,
Carolann

 

Attitude determines the altitude of life.
         -Edwin Louis Cole, 1922-2002
Carolann Steinhoff, B.Sc., CFP®, CIM, CIWM
Portfolio Manager &
Senior Vice-President 

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

June 28, 2017 Newsletter

Dear Friends,

Tangents:
On June 28, 1919, the Treaty of Versailles was signed in France, ending World War I.

Go to article »

SEEING STARS
When you’re stargazing this summer with your family, learn even more about what you’re seeing with the Skyview app, which can identify satellites, constellations, and stars.  If you’re out on a hike, don’t worry –Wifi isn’t needed.  The app is free for iOS and Android.
PHOTOS OF THE DAY

Lightening flashes over Munich, southern Germany.
CREDIT: MARCEL KUSCH/GETTY IMAGES


A worker carries a bunch of delphiniums at the Real Flower Petal Confetti Company in Wick near Pershore, Worcestershire. The delphiniums are turned into confetti and have been planted in a Union Jack pattern to celebrate the company’s 20th year of growing.
CREDIT: JOE GIDDENS/PA
Market Closes for June 28th, 2017

Market

Index

Close Change
Dow

Jones

21454.61 +143.95

 

 +68%

 
S&P 500 2440.56 +21.18

 

+0.88%

 
NASDAQ 6234.414 +87.792

 

+1.43%

 
TSX 15352.69 +71.47

 

+0.47%

International Markets

Market

Index

Close Change
NIKKEI 20130.41 -94.68
-0.47%
HANG

SENG

25683.50 -156.49
-0.61%
SENSEX 30834.32 -123.93
-0.40%
FTSE 100* 7387.80 -46.56
-0.63%

Bonds

Bonds % Yield Previous  % Yield
CND.

10 Year Bond

1.613 1.566
CND.

30 Year

Bond

2.058 2.029
U.S.   

10 Year Bond

2.2191 2.2051
U.S.

30 Year Bond

2.7728 2.7533

Currencies

BOC Close Today Previous  
Canadian $ 0.76705 0.75839
US

$

1.30369 1.31858
     
Euro Rate

1 Euro=

  Inverse
Canadian $ 1.48325 0.67419
US

$

1.13773 0.87894

Commodities

Gold Close Previous
London Gold

Fix

1248.00 1249.55
     
Oil Close Previous
WTI Crude Future 44.74 44.24

Market Commentary:
On this day in 1995, Spyglass Inc., which had licensed the Mosaic web browser from the University of Illinois, sold 2 million shares on the Nasdaq for $8.50 apiece. It was the first internet company to go public. Shares more than tripled in their debut, paving the way for the dot-com boom.

Number of the Day
0.398%

The yield on the German 10-year bund rose to 0.398% on Wednesday, up from 0.342% on Tuesday. That was its largest one-day move since 2015, and up sharply from 0.247% at Monday’s close, after investors were rattled Tuesday when ECB President Mario Draghi hinted the bank may start unwinding its crisis-era stimulus programs.

Canada
By Kristine Owram

    (Bloomberg) — Canadian stocks gained as rising bond yields and oil prices injected some life into the lackluster benchmark.
    The S&P/TSX Composite Index rose 74 points or 0.5 percent to 15,355.58, its first gain of the week. Financial shares added
0.9 percent to their highest level since April 26 as bond yields spiked.
    Energy shares added 0.4 percent as the price of oil gained
1.1 percent. U.S. government data showed a drop in gasoline supplies that have remained stubbornly high.
In other moves:
* Empire Co. Ltd. jumped 10 percent after reporting fourth- quarter earnings and sales that beat estimates and boosting its quarterly dividend
* Alaris Royalty Corp. added 9.7 percent after hitting a record intraday high. The company was upgraded to buy at GMP and announced a $20-million contribution to Accscient LLC
* Home Capital Group Inc. rose 6 percent ahead of its annual shareholder meeting, scheduled for Thursday. The company is wrapping itself in the Canadian flag in a bid to win back depositors.
US
By Jeremy Herron

    (Bloomberg) — Central banks set the tone on global financial markets Wednesday, with the latest comments from policy officials sparking a risk-on mood that sent U.S. stocks to the biggest gain in two months and roiled currencies from the pound to the loonie.
    The S&P 500 Index rebounded from the biggest selloff in six weeks, with bank shares rising to March highs Treasury 10-year note yields climbed above 2.21 percent. Technology firms snapped back to halt a selloff that dented confidence in the year’s biggest gainers. Small caps led the way with a rally that topped
1.5 percent and took the Russell 2000 Index within a point of an all-time high.
    The mood in U.S. equities reversed shortly before the open, when European Central Bank officials said markets had misinterpreted as hawkish comments Tuesday from Mario Draghi.
That sent the euro tumbling from the highest in a year versus the dollar on bets stimulus would remain robust in the region.
The shared currency reversed again and the pound soared when Bank of England’s Mark Carney, in a sign of confidence in the U.K. economy, said rates may need to rise soon. Canada’s Stephen Poloz then reiterated he’s considering tightening, sending the loonie tearing higher.
    The optimistic reading of the latest central bank proclamations — economies around the globe can withstand tighter financial conditions as growth picks up — changed the tone in financial markets less than a day after a host of events from an IMF cut to its U.S. growth forecast, a fresh blow to the Republican agenda in Washington and a global cyberattack had ushered in note of caution. A trio of Federal Reserve speakers had also suggested that some assets had gotten rich by conventional measures. Markets also got a boost Wednesday as oil’s rebound continued.          Here’s what lies ahead for investors:
* China’s PMI might have declined in June after unexpectedly remaining unchanged in May, reflecting government offers to cut overcapacity and leverage. That reading is due Friday.
* Also slated this week: Japanese inflation, factory output, unemployment, household consumption and housing starts.
    Here are the main moves in markets:
    Stocks
* The S&P 500 Index added 0.9 percent to 2,440.51 as of 4 p.m.
in New York, bouncing back from a loss of 0.8 percent. It’s on pace for a quarterly gain of 3.3 percent, the seventh straight advance.
* Financial shares surged 1.6 percent, touching the highest since March.
* The Nasdaq Composite Index jumped 1.4 percent, while small caps in the Russell 2000 Index rallied 1.5 percent, the most since June 1.
* The Stoxx Europe 600 Index closed little changed as it heads for a monthly slide of about 1 percent.
* MSCI’s emerging markets index fell 0.3 percent, paring a quarterly gain of 5.8 percent.
    Currencies
* The Bloomberg Dollar Spot Index dropped 0.4 percent to the lowest since October.
* The euro rose 0.4 percent to $1.1385, the highest level since June 2016. The shared currency surged 1.4 percent on Tuesday.
* The pound jumped 0.9 percent to $1.2933 and the loonie surged
1.3 percent to 1.30293.
    Bonds
* The yield on 10-year Treasuries added one basis point to 2.21 percent after jumping seven basis points Tuesday.
* The yield on German bunds was little changed at 0.37 percent.
    Commodities
* WTI futures advanced 1.1 percent to settle at $44.74 after climbing 4 percent in the previous four sessions. Prices gained as government data showed a drop in U.S. gasoline supplies that have remained stubbornly high at the start of the summer driving season.
* Gold rose 0.3 percent to $1,251.35 an ounce, climbing for a second day.
    Asia
* The MSCI Asia Pacific Index fell 0.3 percent as declines in technology shares overshadowed gains in banks and raw-materials companies. Samsung Electronics Co., Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. and Tencent Holdings Ltd. led the selloff with losses of at least 1.2 percent.
* The yuan continued to rise on speculation of central bank intervention, with the offshore currency up 0.2 percent after surging 0.6 percent Tuesday.

Have a wonderful evening everyone.

Be magnificent!

Is there any motion in a straight line?  A straight line infinitely projected becomes a circle,
it returns to the starting point.  You must end where you begin, and as you begin in God,
you must go back to God.  What remains?  Detail work.  Through eternity you have to do the detail work.
Swami Vivekananda

As ever, 

Carolann

 

Unless we remember we cannot understand.
                         -E.M. Forster, 1879-1970 

Carolann Steinhoff, B.Sc., CFP®, CIM, CIWM
Portfolio Manager &
Senior Vice-President

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

June 27, 2017 Newsletter

Dear Friends,

Tangents:
June 27, 1980 – ‘O Canada’ is officially proclaimed Canada’s National Anthem.

On June 27th, 1787, Edward Gibbon wrote in his Autobiography:
Between the hours of eleven and twelve I wrote the last lines of the last page [of The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire], in a summer-house in my garden  [in Lausanne, Switzerland].  After laying down my pen I took several turns in a berceau, or covered walk of acacias, which commands a prospect of the country, the lake, and the mountains.  The air was temperate, the sky was serene, the silver orb of the moon was reflected from the waters, and all nature was silent.  I will not dissemble the first emotions of joy on recovery of my freedom, and, perhaps, the establishment of my fame.  But my pride was soon humbled, and a sober melancholy was spread over my mind, by the idea that I had taken an everlasting leave of an old and agreeable companion, and that, whatsoever might be the future fate of my History, the life of the historian must be short and precarious. –from The Book of Days.
PHOTOS OF THE DAY

Aerial photo shows flocks of flamingos in Lake Bogoria, Kenya.
CREDIT; IMAGO/BARCROFT IMAGES LONDON.

The Milky Way over the Radar Memorial of St. Aldhelm’s Head, Dorset, UK.
CREDIT: STEVE REGAN/BPNS
Market Closes for June 27th, 2017

Market

Index

Close Change
Dow

Jones

21310.66 -98.89

 

-0.46%

 
S&P 500 2419.38 -19.69

 

-0.81%

 
NASDAQ 6146.621 -100.528

 

-1.61%

 
TSX 15281.22 -34.81

 

-0.23%

International Markets

Market

Index

Close Change
NIKKEI 20225.09 +71.74
+0.36%
HANG

SENG

25839.99 -31.90
-0.12%
SENSEX 30958.25 -179.96
-0.58%
FTSE 100* 7434.36 -12.44
-0.17%

Bonds

Bonds % Yield Previous  % Yield
CND.

10 Year Bond

1.566 1.463
CND.

30 Year

Bond

2.029 1.957
U.S.   

10 Year Bond

2.2051 2.1370
U.S.

30 Year Bond

2.7533 2.6970

Currencies

BOC Close Today Previous  
Canadian $ 0.75839 0.75491
US

$

1.31858 1.32466
     
Euro Rate

1 Euro=

  Inverse
Canadian $ 1.49607 0.66842
US

$

1.13422 0.88167

Commodities

Gold Close Previous
London Gold

Fix

1249.55 1245.25
     
Oil Close Previous
WTI Crude Future 44.24 43.38

Market Commentary:
Canada
By Natalie Wong

     (Bloomberg) — Canadian stocks fell amid declining gold prices and global cyber attacks that weighed on technology shares.
     The S&P/TSX composite index fell 0.2 percent to 15,281.22. Tech stocks tumbled 2.5 percent, the most in over five weeks, as Shopify Inc. dropped 6.2 percent after today’s cyber attacks, following a 2.8 percent decline yesterday following a SunTrust Robinson Humphrey hold recommendation.
     Material stocks sank 1.3 percent as Barrick Gold Corp. fell 1.6 percent and Goldcorp Inc. declined 2.2 percent.
     In other moves:
* Health care fell 2.6 percent as Valeant Pharmaceuticals International Inc. dropped 2.5 percent and Canopy Growth Corp. declined 5.6 percent
* Oil stocks continued a four-day rally, gaining as much as 2.4 percent, the most in five weeks, as Suncor Energy Inc. rose 1.1 percent and Enbridge Inc. moved up 0.6 percent
* Consumer staples advanced 0.7 percent as Alimentation Couche- Tard Inc. gained 5.6 percent, the most in 10 months, after its $4.4b acquisiton of CST Brands won approval from FTC antitrust officials Monday.
US
By Jeremy Herron and Dani Burger

     (Bloomberg) — U.S. equities fell the most in six weeks and a measure of market volatility spiked higher as investors grew uneasy amid a global cyberattack and a fresh setback to the Republican agenda in Washington. Treasuries plunged as Janet Yellen signaled the economy is robust enough to withstand higher interest rates.
     The Nasdaq 100 Index fell more than 1.7 percent to its lowest level since May 19, as investors continue to punish some of the year’s highest flyers. Selling accelerated as the Federal Reserve chair said financial assets had become “somewhat rich.” Financial shares advanced, but not enough to save the S&P 500 Index from its worst drop in six weeks. Treasury 10-year yields rose to the highest in two weeks as Yellen indicated the Fed remains on track to tighten even as data comes in spoke on the economy. Oil climbed above $44 a barrel.
     Senate Republicans delayed a vote on health-care reform in a fresh hit to the Trump administration’s policy agenda, fueling speculation tax cuts and regulatory rollbacks may also be delayed. The International Monetary Fund earlier cut its growth forecast for the U.S. in part because of policy uncertainty, while the latest cyberattack to disrupt global business added to the cautious mood.
     “Market participants may view health care legislation as stalling a move on taxes that could include a repatriation tax holiday,” said Jeffrey Kleintop, Charles Schwab Corp.’s chief global strategist.
     Yellen gave no indication her plans for continued monetary policy tightening had shifted while acknowledging asset prices continued to appreciate. Some investors worry the Fed is taking too rosy a view as it sets the path for increasing borrowing costs, especially after weakness in data Monday added to concerns about the strength of growth. 
     “Yellen is expressing confidence that banking is stronger, economic growth is relatively firm and there’s not going to be a crisis in our lifetime,” said Dennis Debusschere, Evercore ISI’s head of portfolio strategy and quant. “It’s sending a signal that they can continue on rising rates, despite the weaker inflation we’ve seen. That’s where the concern is in the market.”
     Here are some important upcoming events:
* The inaugural session of the new French parliament will start today.
* The Federal Reserve is set to announce the results of the second part of its annual U.S. bank stress test on Wednesday.
* China’s PMI might have declined in June after unexpectedly remaining unchanged in May, reflecting government offers to cut overcapacity and leverage. That reading is due Friday.
* Also due this week: Japanese inflation, factory output, unemployment, household consumption and housing starts; rate decisions in Colombia, the Czech Republic and Armenia.
     These are the main moves in markets:
     Stocks
* The S&P 500 lost 0.8 percent to 2,419.38 at 4 p.m. in New York. That’s the lowest since May 31.
* The Nasdaq 100 lost 1.8 percent, the most since a 2.4 percent rout on June 9. The index is at its lowest level since May 19. Alphabet Inc. dropped 1.9 percent after being hit with a record EU fine.
* The Stoxx Europe 600 Index dropped 0.8 percent, as declines in travel and leisure shares overshadowed the rally in miners.
     Currencies
* The euro surged 1.4 percent to $1.1336.
* The Bloomberg Dollar Spot Index fell 0.5 percent after gaining 0.1 percent in the previous session.
* The British pound added 0.6 percent to $1.2799. 
     Commodities
* West Texas Intermediate crude rose 2 percent to $44.25 a barrel, adding to a three-day rally following oil’s drop into a bear market.
* Gold futures increased 0.3 percent to $1,250.40 an ounce. The precious metal sank almost 1 percent on Monday.
     Bonds
* The yield on 10-year Treasuries rose six basis points to 2.20 percent, after dropping less than one basis point on Monday.
* European government bonds dropped across the board, with the yield on benchmark French bonds climbing 14 basis points and that of Germany gaining 13 basis points.
     Asia
* The Chinese yuan jumped both onshore and overseas amid speculation of central bank intervention.
* Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index fell 0.1 percent and the Shanghai Composite Index advanced 0.2 percent. A string of small-cap Hong Kong stocks suddenly plunged during the day, with traders pointing to links between some of the companies and a brokerage that’s under regulatory investigation.
* Japan’s Topix climbed 0.4 percent to the highest closing level since August 2015.

 

Have a wonderful evening everyone.

 

Be magnificent!

Sensibility is the capacity to feel,
recognize, and distinguish the most tiny and subtle changes.
Swami Prajnanpad

As ever,

 

Carolann

 

The best time to make friends is before you need them.
                                -Ethel Barrymonre, 1879-1959

 

Carolann Steinhoff, B.Sc., CFP®, CIM, CIWM
Portfolio Manager &
Senior Vice-President

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

 

June 26, 2017 Newsletter

Dear Friends,

Tangents:

June 26, 1925 – Edward S. Rogers Sr. invents AC tube which allows world’s first plug-in batteryless radios.

James Agate wrote on June, 26th, 1932, Ego:

Dined at Pec’s [in Brighton], on balcony about nine o’clock.  Anchovies. Cold lamb, an excellent Beaune and a good cigar.  L’heure bleue, and all that sort of thing.  Felt at once cheerful and sentimental – a rare combination…About ten o’clock the electric sign over our heads began to function, turning our lamb into pink, newly butchered slabs.  Is there anything more romantic than a pier lit up, or more desolating than one whose lights suddenly go out? –from The Book of Days.

PHOTOS OF THE DAY

Smoke billows from a charred forest after a wildfire in Mazagon, near the Donana National Park in Spain. CRISTINA QUICLER/AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE/GETTY IMAGES


The City of São Paulo, Brazil, announced a partnership with the Italian embassy and Italian firms to revitalize three plazas in the city. CRIS FAGA/ZUMA PRESS
Market Closes for June 26th, 2017

Market

Index

Close Change
Dow

Jones

21409.55 +14.79

 

+0.07%

 
S&P 500 2439.07 +0.77

 

+0.03%

 
NASDAQ 6247.148 -18.101

 

-0.29%

 
TSX 15316.02 -3.54

 

-0.02%

International Markets

Market

Index

Close Change
NIKKEI 20153.35 +20.68
+0.10%
HANG

SENG

25871.89 +201.84
+0.79%
SENSEX 31138.21 -152.53
-0.49%
FTSE 100* 7446.80 +22.67
+0.31%

Bonds

Bonds % Yield Previous  % Yield
CND.

10 Year Bond

1.463 1.479
CND.

30 Year

Bond

1.957 1.977
U.S.   

10 Year Bond

2.1370 2.1423
U.S.

30 Year Bond

2.6970 2.7147

Currencies

BOC Close Today Previous  
Canadian $ 0.75491 0.75378
US

$

1.32466 1.32665
     
Euro Rate

1 Euro=

  Inverse
Canadian $ 1.48145 0.67501
US

$

1.11836 0.89417

Commodities

Gold Close Previous
London Gold

Fix

1245.25 1255.70
     
Oil Close Previous
WTI Crude Future 43.38 42.81

Market Commentary:
On this day in 1950, the Dow Jones Industrial Average falls 4.7% to 213.91, a day after North Korea invades the South.

Number of the Day :
$3.5 billion

The amount billionaire activist investor Daniel Loeb’s Third Point has taken in Nestlé, its largest-ever initial bet on a public company.
Canada
By Kristine Owram

     (Bloomberg) — Canadian stocks were little changed as falling gold prices weighed on miners, offsetting gains in the health-care and consumer sectors.
     The S&P/TSX Composite Index fell 4 points or less than 0.1 percent to 15,316.02. Materials stocks lost 0.6 percent as gold prices fell following what appeared to be a fat-finger trade. Oceanagold Corp. lost 3.3 percent and Guyana Goldfields Inc. fell 2.8 percent.
     The health-care index jumped 3.9 percent, bringing its total gain since June 15 to 19 percent as the U.S. Senate works to get enough votes to replace Obamacare. Valeant Pharmaceuticals International Inc. gained 8 percent.
     In other moves:
* ShawCor Ltd. fell 5.8 percent following a downgrade to sector perform at National Bank Financial
* BlackBerry Ltd. added 5.7 percent, rebounding from Friday’s 13 percent drop. Analysts at TD see opportunities that could contribute to a strong second half
* Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc. added 3.6 percent after it won approval from the U.S. Federal Trade Commission for its acquisition of CST Brands Inc.
US
By Samuel Potter and Jeremy Herron

     (Bloomberg) — Selling in technology shares that have led markets higher in 2017 resumed Monday, as U.S. stocks failed to sustain a rally in global equities that started in Asia. Treasuries advanced after data showing a steeper drop in durable goods than forecast raised concern about the pace of U.S. economic growth.
     The Nasdaq 100 Index retreated, leaving it 1.8 percent below its June 8 high. Most stocks in the S&P 500 Index advanced, with rate-sensitive shares pushing the gauge to a slight gain even as its largest cohort declined. European shares rose on news of an Italian bank clean-up and Dan Loeb’s investment in Nestle SA. Treasuries turned higher as an unexpected drop in orders for business equipment last month signaled slowing momentum in the world’s largest economy. The dollar advanced.
     Gains in global stocks to start the week faded in the U.S., where major benchmark indexes were mixed before a jam-packed agenda for central-bank speakers in the next days. Comments are due from Janet Yellen, Mario Draghi, Mark Carney, Haruhiko Kuroda and more. The report on U.S. durables goods kicks off a string of economic data that may also drive momentum in financial markets, with key reports due on inflation, employment, manufacturing and housing from China to the U.S.
     There is “very little risk we see any central bank surprises,” Robert Rennie, Sydney-based head of global market strategy at Westpac Banking Corp., told Bloomberg TV. “It looks like it’s a positive summer for risk sentiment. That certainly favors higher equity and higher yielding currencies at least in the very short term.”
     Meanwhile, multiple markets will be disrupted this week because of public holidays, including in India, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Singapore, Bangladesh, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Egypt, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates.
     Central bankers aren’t the only things to watch this week:
* U.S. spending data may reveal consumers are only moderately rebounding and the inflation backslide is continuing.
* The U.S. Energy Information Administration holds its 2017 energy conference this week.
* President Donald Trump will host India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi and South Korean President Moon Jae-in.
* The Bank of England’s Financial Policy Committee releases its stability report on Tuesday and Governor Mark Carney holds a press conference.
* The Federal Reserve is set to announce the results of the second part of its annual U.S. bank stress test on Wednesday.
* China’s PMI might have declined in June after unexpectedly remaining unchanged in May, reflecting government offers to cut overcapacity and leverage.
* Also due this week: Japanese inflation, factory output, unemployment, household consumption and housing starts; rate decisions in Colombia, the Czech Republic and Armenia.
     Here are the main moves in markets:
     Stocks
* The S&P 500 Index rose less than one point to 2,439.01 at 4 p.m. in New York. The index erased early gains before rebounding in the afternoon to post a modest advance.
* The Nasdaq 100 fell 0.4 percent after surging more than 0.7 percent in the first hour of trading.
* The Stoxx Europe 600 Index rose 0.4 percent to the highest in a week. Nestle surged 4.3 percent.
* The MSCI Emerging Market Index rose 0.8 percent to the highest since May 26.
* Italy’s FTSE MIB Index surged 0.8 percent, falling back after touching its highest level in a month.  
     Commodities
* West Texas Intermediate crude rose 0.9 percent to settle at $43.38 a barrel after five weeks of losses.
* Gold futures sank 0.9 percent to $1,246.60 an ounce.
     Currencies
* The Bloomberg Dollar Spot Index was little changed after three days of declines.
* The British pound was virtually unchanged at $1.2722.
* The euro was flat at $1.1193.
     Bonds
* The yield on 10-year Treasuries fell one basis point to 2.13 percent.
* U.K. benchmark yields fell two basis point to 1.01 percent.
* Italian yields fell two basis points to 1.89 percent.

Have a wonderful evening everyone.

 

Be magnificent!

We cross the infinite with every step, and encounter the eternal with every second.
Rabindranath Tagore

As ever,

Carolann

 

You’ve got to take the bitter with the sour.
                 -Samuel Goldwyn, 1879-1974

 

Carolann Steinhoff, B.Sc., CFP®, CIM, CIWM
Portfolio Manager &
Senior Vice-President

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

June 23, 2017 Newsletter

Dear Friends,

Tangents:
1817 – Bank of Montreal incorporated with £250,000 capital; Canada’s oldest. 200th Year in business

1896 – Wilfrid Laurier leads Liberals to victory in the 8th general election, beating Tupper’s Conservatives.
1974 – John Diefenbaker sworn in as an MP for a record 12th consecutive time.
1985 – Terrorist bomb downs Air India Flight 182 Boeing 747 from Toronto off the coast of Ireland.

On this day in 1989, director Tim Burton’s version of Batman, starring Michael Keaton, is released in theaters. 
PHOTOS OF THE DAY

A photographer captures the rare moment a group of wasps blow water bubbles.  Lim Choo How, 49, form Kedah, Malaysia, was walking around a factory compound when he noticed the wasp flying round a nest, absorbing water and blowing water away to keep their nest dry.  Lim, who has practiced photography as a hobby for 12 years, rushed back to his office to pick up his camera.  He said: this behavior is rare in macro photography.
CREDIT LIM CHOO HOW/CATERS NEWS


A festival goer in costume on day 1 of the Glastonbury Festival 2017 at Worthy Farm, Pilton in Glastonbury, England.
CREDIT: IAN GAVAN/GETTY IMAGES

Aerial view of the Glastonbury Festival site in Pilton, Somerset, June 22, 2017.  The massive site becomes a city in the countryside for the five days of the biggest festival in Europe with over 150 thousand people enjoying thousands of live acts.
FRANCIS HAWKINS/SWNS.COM
Market Closes for June 23rd, 2017

Market

Index

Close Change
Dow

Jones

21394.76 -2.53

 

-0.01%

 
S&P 500 2438.30 +3.80

 

+0.16%

 
NASDAQ 6265.250 +28.565

 

+0.46%

 
TSX 15322.55 +102.65

 

+0.67%

International Markets

Market

Index

Close Change
NIKKEI 20132.67 +22.16
+0.11%
HANG

SENG

25670.05 -4.48
-0.02%
SENSEX 31138.21 -152.53
-0.49%
FTSE 100* 7424.13 -15.16
-0.20%

Bonds

Bonds % Yield Previous  % Yield
CND.

10 Year Bond

1.479 1.497
CND.

30 Year

Bond

1.977 1.992
U.S.   

10 Year Bond

2.1423 2.1477
U.S.

30 Year Bond

2.7147 2.7170

Currencies

BOC Close Today Previous  
Canadian $ 0.75378 0.75583
US

$

1.32665 1.32305
     
Euro Rate

1 Euro=

  Inverse
Canadian $ 1.47554 0.67772
US

$

1.11526 0.89665

Commodities

Gold Close Previous
London Gold

Fix

1255.70 1250.80
     
Oil Close Previous
WTI Crude Future 42.81 42.54

Market Commentary:
Number of the Day
$1.50

The British pound was trading around $1.27 on Friday, one year after the U.K.’s vote on the Brexit referendum. Before the vote’s results, the pound was at $1.50.
Canada
By Kristine Owram

     (Bloomberg) — Canadian stocks closed higher, buoyed by rebounding commodity prices, but Friday’s gain wasn’t enough to prevent energy shares from posting their sixth consecutive weekly loss.
     The S&P/TSX Composite Index added 100 points or 0.7 percent to 15,319.56. Materials shares added 1.8 percent and energy stocks gained 1.2 percent as crude oil, gold and copper prices all rose. However, oil remained in a bear market and the TSX energy index lost 1 percent on the week.
     The information technology index fell 0.6 percent as BlackBerry Ltd. tumbled 13 percent, the most since January 2015. The company reported surprisingly weak first-quarter revenue from software sales.
     In other moves:
* Dream Office Real Estate Investment Trust gained 4.5 percent after selling C$1.7 billion of assets
* Hudson’s Bay Co. fell 5.4 percent following five days of gains. An activist investor is targeting the retailer and urging it to unlock the value of its real estate portfolio
* Home Capital Group Inc. fell 2.1 percent following Thursday’s 27 percent gain.
US
By Jeremy Herron and Meenal Vamburkar

     (Bloomberg) — U.S. stocks halted a three-day slide, while Treasury yields and the dollar edged lower as a week dominated by crude’s tumble into a bear market ended with the three major American assets largely unchanged.
     The S&P 500 Index finished the period virtually where it began, as rallies in health-care and tech shares offset a rout in energy producers. Small caps rallied Friday to end higher on the week. Crude capped a fifth straight weekly decline after falling into a bear market. The dollar slipped a third day, though not enough to erase a slight gain in the week. The 10- year Treasury yield fell less than one basis point in the five days as a parade of Federal Reserve officials said little to alter views on the timing for rate increases. Gold rose for a third day to offset a two-day slump and finish the week flat.
     Read more about British markets one year after the Brexit vote
     Weakness in energy prices were the theme of the week, with oil in New York and London dropping into a bear market on concerns that expanding supply in the U.S. and Libya will counter OPEC output cuts. Few signs of contagion emerged though, leaving everything from gold to the dollar to U.S. equities to churn in tight ranges as the traditionally slow summer season began. Europe focused on the negotiations to untangle Britain from the union, while U.S. investors rotated back into technology shares two weeks after pummeling the high flying group.
     Here are the main moves in markets:
     Stocks
* The S&P 500 rose less 0.2 percent to 2,438.16 at 4 p.m. in New York. The index rallied 0.8 percent Monday to close above 2,350 for the first time, only to slide over three days and end 0.2 percent higher in the week.
* The Russell 2000 Index jumped 0.7 percent to cap a weekly gain of 0.6 percent. The operator of the index reshuffled membership Friday.
* Health-care shares in the S&P 500 posted the best week since November amid signs the Trump administration won’t come after drug prices and some positive lab results from biotech firms.
* Energy producers slumped more than 3 percent for their worst week since February 2016.
* The Stoxx Europe 600 Index slipped 0.2 percent, capping a third straight weekly decline. The FTSE 100 Index lost 0.2 percent, for a 0.5 percent drop in the five days.
* The MSCI Emerging Markets Index rose 0.4 percent to finish 1 percent higher in the week.
     Commodities
* West Texas Intermediate crude added 27 cents Friday to settle at $43.01 a barrel, cutting its loss this week to about 4 percent.
* Gold futures rose 0.6 percent to $1,257.10 an ounce, for a third day of gains. 
     Currencies
* The Bloomberg Dollar Spot Index fell 0.3 percent. It added 0.2 percent for the week, after rallying Monday and Tuesday on Fed rate-hike expectations.
* The pound strengthened 0.4 percent to $1.2726, paring its drop this week to 0.5 percent. The euro climbed 0.4 percent to $1.1200.
* The yen rose less than 0.1 percent to 111.29 per dollar. 
     Bonds
* The yield on 10-year Treasuries added less than one basis point to 2.15 percent. It’s virtually unchanged for the week.
* U.K. 10-year gilt yields rose two basis points to 1.03 percent, led by losses in shorter-dated securities as U.K. money markets push odds of a rate hike by the end of 2017 over sixty percent.

 

Have a wonderful weekend everyone.

 

Be magnificent!

The important question for me is,
is the body a source for creating, for realizing yourself,
for realizing what life is all about?  You ask this question
and you go where it takes you and then you ask another question
and then again you follow.  So this understanding of the body, of the unity within the body
and the innumerable areas which it reveals to you is what I call realization.
Chandralekha

As ever,

 

Carolann

 

Science is organized knowledge.  Wisdom is organized life.
                                       -Immanuel Kant, 1724-1804

 

Carolann Steinhoff, B.Sc., CFP®, CIM, CIWM
Portfolio Manager &
Senior Vice-President

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

June 21, 2017 Newsletter

Dear Friends,

Tangents:
It’s official – HAPPY SUMMER!!!

Sumer is icumen in,
Lhude sing cuccu!
Growth sed, and bloweth me [meadow]
A springeth the wude nu.
        -Anonymous, “Cuckoo Song, c. 1250

Charles Greville, Memoirs, June 21, 1837:
At twelve She [Queen Victoria] held a Council, at which She presided with as much ease as if She had been doing nothing else all her life, and though Lord Lansdowne or Bathurst had contrived between them to make some confusion with the Council papers, She was not put out by it.  She looked very well, and though so small in stature, and without any pretension to beauty, the gracefulness of her manner and the good expression of her countenance give her on the whole a very agreeable appearance, and with her youth inspire an excessive interest in all who approach her, and which I can’t help feeling myself. –from The Book of Days.
PHOTOS OF THE DAY

Revelers gather to celebrate the festival of Summer Solstice at Stonehenge in Wiltshire, England. CHRIS J RATCLIFFE/AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE/GETTY IMAGES

People take part in the 15th annual Times Square yoga event celebrating the Summer Solstice, in New York on Wednesday. The event marked the international day of yoga. TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE/GETTY IMAGES

A reveler walks among the tepee tents at the Glastonbury Festival of Music and Performing Arts in Somerset, England. OLI SCARFF/AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE/GETTY IMAGES

Aymara Indians hold up their hands to receive the first rays of sunlight in a New Year’s ritual in the ruins of the ancient city of Tiwanaku, Bolivia, on Wednesday. Bolivia’s Aymara Indians are celebrating the year 5,525 as well as the Southern Hemisphere’s winter solstice. JUAN KARITA/ASSOCIATED PRESS
Market Closes for June 21st, 2017

Market

Index

Close Change
Dow

Jones

21411.54 -55.60

 

-0.26%

 
S&P 500 2435.72 -1.31

 

-0.05%

 
NASDAQ 6233.953 +45.922

 

+0.74%

 
TSX 15131.59 -18.01

 

-0.12%

International Markets

Market

Index

Close Change
NIKKEI 20138.79 -91.62
-0.45%
HANG

SENG

25694.58 -148.46
-0.57%
SENSEX 31283.64 -13.89
-0.04%
FTSE 100* 7447.79 -24.92
-0.33%

Bonds

Bonds % Yield Previous  % Yield
CND.

10 Year Bond

1.489 1.501
CND.

30 Year

Bond

1.999 2.009
U.S.   

10 Year Bond

2.1564 2.1547
U.S.

30 Year Bond

2.7244 2.7326

Currencies

BOC Close Today Previous  
Canadian $ 0.75025 0.75373
US

$

1.33289 1.32674
     
Euro Rate

1 Euro=

  Inverse
Canadian $ 1.48841 0.67186
US

$

1.11668 0.89551

Commodities

Gold Close Previous
London Gold

Fix

1242.50 1242.20
     
Oil Close Previous
WTI Crude Future 42.31 43.23

Market Commentary:
Canada
By Kristine Owram

     (Bloomberg) — Canadian stocks were little changed following a roller-coaster day that saw the benchmark spike on falling oil inventories, then fall back into the red.
     The S&P/TSX Composite Index fell 1 point to 15,148.53. Financial stocks fell 0.5 percent and energy shares lost 0.2 percent, offsetting a 1.5 percent gain in materials.
     The energy index jumped then fell, taking the broader market along with it, after data showed U.S. crude and gasoline stockpiles fell last week but crude output jumped. Oil fell 1.6 percent to $42.53 a barrel, deepening a slump that saw prices enter a bear market on Tuesday.
     In other moves:
* Baytex Energy Corp. was the biggest decliner on the energy index, losing 7.5 percent after it was cut to underperform at Macquarie
* Sears Canada Inc. plunged 23 percent to a record low after people familiar with the matter said it was preparing to seek court protection from creditors
* Concordia International Corp. jumped 20 percent, the most since November, after it hired a financial adviser to explore options including a sale
* Cenovus Energy Inc. fell 3.3 percent, adding to Tuesday’s 8.1 percent drop. The company’s CEO will retire in October as it grapples with investor concerns about a ~$13 billion acquisition.
US
By Jeremy Herron

     (Bloomberg) — Most U.S. stocks fell as oil’s worsening slump weighed on energy and industrial shares, overshadowing fresh rallies in high flying technology and biotech companies.
     Brent crude slid beneath $45 a barrel to join West Texas Intermediate in a bear market as stockpiles in America remain above seasonal averages and Libya resumed some production. That sent energy shares in the S&P 500 Index to the lowest level in two months. The equity benchmark almost eked out a gain as chipmakers led a rally in its biggest component, tech shares. Treasuries were virtually unchanged after erasing losses, while the dollar slipped.
     Oil’s slide into a bear market is showing some signs of spilling over into other assets, with energy junk bonds at the cheapest since November, though contagion remains largely contained. Persistently lower commodity prices raises the specter that inflation will have trouble rising toward levels central banks prefer even as the Federal Reserve reiterates its intention to tighten monetary policy.
     The rebound in biotech comes on signs that the Trump administration has softened its stance on drug pricing and as breakthroughs such as Clovis Oncology Inc.’s cancer treatment renew investor interest. 
     Read more: Liquor Titans to Coal Miners: the Chinese Stocks in MSCI’s Club
     Here are some of the key events on the agenda:
* Still to come on the Fed speaker list: Jerome Powell, James Bullard and Loretta Mester.
* New Zealand’s central bank is expected to leave its benchmark interest rate at a record low when it meets on Thursday.
     And here are the main moves in markets:
     Stocks
* The S&P 500 Index fell 0.1 percent to 2,435.61 as of 4 p.m. in New York. Exxon Mobil Corp. and Chevron Corp. contributed the most to the decline..
* The Nasdaq 100 Index climbed 1 percent, continuing its rebound from a two-week selloff. It’s still 1.8 percent from its June 8 high.
* The Stoxx Europe 600 lost 0.2 percent, with financial shares leading the way.
* The MSCI Emerging Markets Index slid 0.2 percent.
* Saudi Arabian equities jumped amid a palace reshuffle. Chinese shares rose after winning entry into MSCI Inc.’s emerging- markets gauge.
     Commodities
* Brent crude entered a bear market, plunging below $45 a barrel for the first time since November as skepticism that a supply glut will ease worsens. The world benchmark settled $1.20 lower at $44.82, down 22 percent from its January peak.
* West Texas oil lost almost $1 to settle at $42.53. Futures tumbled more than 2 percent on Tuesday, touching the lowest since August.
* Gold futures rose 0.2 percent to $1,245.96 an ounce after falling for five straight days.
* Zinc rose the most in five months, leading other industrial metals higher amid signs of shrinking global supply.
     Currencies
* The pound grabbed the center of the G-10 currency stage for a second day, after remarks from Bank of England Chief Economist Andy Haldane contrasted sharply with the tone set by the bank’s Governor Mark Carney just the day before. Sterling rose more than one cent before paring gains to $1.2663.
* The Bloomberg Dollar Spot Index fell 0.1 percent after rising 0.3 percent on Tuesday and 0.4 percent the previous day. The euro climbed 0.3 percent to $1.1162 after two days of declines.
* The yen was little changed at 111.421 per dollar, after gaining 0.1 percent on Tuesday.
     Bonds
* The yield on 10-year Treasuries was virtually unchanged at 2.16 percent, after declining three basis points on Tuesday.
* Investors still aren’t demanding higher overall premiums for the riskiest corporate debt and the $18.4 billion iShares iBoxx High Yield Corporate Bond ETF has gained 3.9 percent this year, even as credit spreads for energy companies widened to the highest since September after crude slid below $43 a barrel.
* The yield on U.K. benchmark bonds rose four basis points.

Have a wonderful evening everyone.

 

Be magnificent!

I have always fought not to project but to be myself.
To retain my own scale, which is a dot, but a vibrating dot, a pulsating dot that is what I’d like to be.
I would like to remain that pulsating dot
which can reach out to the whole world, to the universe.
Chandralekha

 

As ever,

Carolann

 

There is nothing like practice.
-Alan Hovhaness, 1911-2000

Carolann Steinhoff, B.Sc., CFP®, CIM, CIWM
Portfolio Manager &
Senior Vice-President

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

June 20, 2017 Newsletter

Dear Friends,

Tangents:
On June 20, 1967, boxer Muhammad Ali was convicted in Houston of violating Selective Service laws by refusing to be drafted. The conviction was later overturned by the Supreme Court.

Go to article »

PHOTOS OF THE DAY

A jellyfish is illuminated at Mystic Aquarium in Mystic, Connecticut.  The aquarium was founded in 1973.
CREDIT: TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP/GETTY IMAGES


Chipmunks look out near the ninth hole during the fourth round of the US Open golf tournament at Erin Hills in Erin, Wisconson, UK.
CREDIT: DAVID J. PHILLIPS
Market Closes for June 20th, 2017

Market

Index

Close Change
Dow

Jones

21467.14 -61.85

 

-0.29%

 
S&P 500 2437.03 -16.43

 

-0.67%

 
NASDAQ 6188.031 -50.981

 

-0.82%

 
TSX 15149.60 -116.44

 

-0.76%

International Markets

Market

Index

Close Change
NIKKEI 20230.41 +162.66
+0.81%
HANG

SENG

25843.04 -81.51
-0.31%
SENSEX 31297.53 -14.04
-0.04%
FTSE 100* 7472.71 -51.10
-0.68%

Bonds

Bonds % Yield Previous  % Yield
CND.

10 Year Bond

1.501 1.541
CND.

30 Year

Bond

2.009 2.044
U.S.   

10 Year Bond

2.1547 2.1879
U.S.

30 Year Bond

2.7326 2.7849

Currencies

BOC Close Today Previous  
Canadian $ 0.75373 0.75677
US

$

1.32674 1.32141
     
Euro Rate

1 Euro=

  Inverse
Canadian $ 1.47722 0.67695
US

$

1.11342 0.89814

Commodities

Gold Close Previous
London Gold

Fix

1242.20 1248.15
     
Oil Close Previous
WTI Crude Future 43.23 44.20

Market Commentary:
Number of the Day
1.66%

The S&P 500’s tech sector rose 1.66% on Monday, its largest single-day percentage gain of 2017.
Canada
By Natalie Wong

     (Bloomberg) — Canadian stocks dropped to a 2017 low as oil entered a bear market after falling to the lowest level in nine months.
     The S&P/TSX Composite Index fell 0.8 percent to 15,149.60 at the close, as energy stocks dropped 2 percent. Crude oil fell 2.2 percent to 43.23 per barrel.
     Cenovus Energy Inc. sank 8.1 percent to an all-time low following CEO Brian Ferguson’s retirement announcement. Meg Energy Corp. fell 4.4 percent, the lowest all year.
     In other moves:
* Enbridge Inc. dropped 2 percent, Suncor Energy Inc. dropped 2.3 percent, and Canadian National Railway Co. fell 1.3 percent
* Financials moved down 0.5 percent as Canadian Western Bank slipped 1.7 percent and Manulife Financial Corp. fell 0.9 percent
* Home Capital Group Inc. rose 4.3 percent, after selling $874 million of commercial loans to KingSett
* Copper fell 1.2 percent after posting the biggest decline in six weeks, as the advancing dollar makes raw materials priced in greenbacks more expensive in other currencies.
US
By Jeremy Herron and Meenal Vamburkar

     (Bloomberg) — U.S. stocks fell the most in a month, retreating from all-time highs as crude oil slid into a bear market on concern the global supply glut will persist. China’s yuan got a small bump after MSCI Inc. added the nation’s domestic stocks to its emerging-markets index.
     The S&P 500 Index lost 0.7 percent for its biggest decline since May 17 as energy producers and companies whose profits are most linked to economic growth, including makers of non- essential consumer goods and industrial producers, led declines. The dollar rose as Fed officials continued to reiterate a moderately hawkish stance on monetary policy. Treasuries rose.
     The MSCI decision will add 222 China A-share stocks starting in May 2018. The index provider delayed its decision on the status of Argentina’s stocks and will consult on the possible inclusion of Saudi Arabia in the index. China’s $6.8 trillion onshore market is the world’s second largest and accounts for 9 percent of global stock value, but had been rejected for index inclusion three times by MSCI over issues including capital controls and long trading halts. Hong Kong shares retreated ahead of the decision.
     Stocks in the U.S. faltered as the weakness in crude and other commodities dents arguments from American central bankers that weak inflation rates will be transitory, even as the economy shows few signs of distress and haven assets have not been in demand. The Fed raised rates last week. Stocks had barreled to fresh highs after a series of geopolitical concerns seems to have faded, though formal negotiations over Britain’s exit from the European Union began somewhat contentiously.
     Read more: Torturous Road to Brexit Seen by Most in Barclays Investor Poll
     Here are some of the key upcoming events:
* Still to come on the Fed speaker list: Eric Rosengren, Robert Kaplan, Jerome Powell, James Bullard and Loretta Mester.
     Here are the main moves in markets:
     Stocks
* The S&P 500 fell 0.7 percent to 2,437.08 at 4 p.m. in New York. Energy stocks and consumer discretionary producers slumped 1.3 percent to lead the gauge lower. Industrial and phone stocks fell 1.1 percent.
* The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 0.3 percent after it ended Monday at a record, while the Nasdaq Composite Index declined 0.8 percent.
* The Stoxx Europe 600 erased a gain to end 0.7 percent lower. The U.K.’s FTSE 100 Index declined 0.7 percent.
     Currencies
* The Bloomberg Dollar Spot Index rose 0.3 percent after advancing 0.4 percent on Monday. The measure touched the lowest level since October last week.
* The British pound fell 0.8 percent to $1.2631 for a second day of losses as Bank of England Governor Mark Carney said he is still worried about the impact of Brexit on the economy.
* The euro was down 0.2 percent to $1.1126.
* The yen gained 0.1 percent to 111.445 per dollar. The currency retreated 0.6 percent on Monday.
     Bonds
* The yield on 10-year Treasuries fell three basis points to 2.16 percent, after rising four basis points Monday. The yield curve flattened amid demand for longer-dated maturities.
* Benchmark yields in the U.K. fell four basis points.
     Commodities
* West Texas oil fell more than 20 percent from its highest close this year. It was down more than 2 percent Tuesday to settle at $43.23 a barrel, the lowest since August.
* Gold futures slipped 0.2 percent to $1,244 an ounce, after closing Monday at the lowest in more than a month.
* Copper posted its biggest loss in six weeks as the dollar strengthened.
Have a wonderful evening everyone.

 

Be magnificent!

I see these things with an intense joy,
and while I observe, there is no observer, only a beauty almost like love.
For an instant, I am absent, myself and my problems, my anxieties, my troubles: nothing but this wonder exists.
Krishnamurti

As ever,

 

Carolann

There are some things you learn best in calm, and some in storm.
                                                          -Willa Carter, 1873-1947

Carolann Steinhoff, B.Sc., CFP®, CIM, CIWM
Portfolio Manager &
Senior Vice-President

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

June 19, 2017 Newsletter

Dear Friends,

Tangents:
On this day in 1953, Julius and Ethel Rosenberg, who were convicted of conspiring to pass atomic secrets to the Soviet Union, are executed at Sing Sing Prison in Ossining, New York.

On June 19, 1964, the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was approved after surviving an 83-day filibuster in the United States Senate.
Go to article »

SIGNIFICANT NUMBERS:
29

Percentage of corals in Australia’s Great Barrier Reef that died in 2016.  Researchers blame rising sea temperatures, linked to climate change.
662
Million
Vacation days not taken in 2016.  More than half of US workers didn’t use all their time off.
PHOTOS OF THE DAY

Engines moving along the production line at a Volkswagen facility in Chemnitz, Germany, as the company celebrated production of its 15 millionth engine. HENDRIK SCHMIDT/DPA/ZUMA PRESS

A Porsche seemed barely visible as it raced Sunday in the 24 Hours of Le Mans race in France. KER ROBERTSON/GETTY IMAGES
Market Closes for June 19th, 2017

Market

Index

Close Change
Dow

Jones

21528.99 +144.71

 

+0.68%

 
S&P 500 2452.52 +19.37

 

+0.80%

 
NASDAQ 6239.012 +87.253

 

+1.42%

 
TSX 15271.40 +78.86

 

+0.52%

International Markets

Market

Index

Close Change
NIKKEI 20067.75 +124.49
+0.62%
HANG

SENG

25924.55 +298.06
+1.16%
SENSEX 31311.57 +255.17
+0.82%
FTSE 100* 7523.81 +60.27
+0.81%

Bonds

Bonds % Yield Previous  % Yield
CND.

10 Year Bond

1.541 1.524
CND.

30 Year

Bond

2.044 2.036
U.S.   

10 Year Bond

2.1879 2.1514
U.S.

30 Year Bond

2.7849 2.7759

Currencies

BOC Close Today Previous  
Canadian $ 0.75677 0.75642
US

$

1.32141 1.32202
     
Euro Rate

1 Euro=

  Inverse
Canadian $ 1.47325 0.67877
US

$

1.11490 0.89694

Commodities

Gold Close Previous
London Gold

Fix

1248.15 1255.40
     
Oil Close Previous
WTI Crude Future 44.20 44.74

Market Commentary:
Number of the Day
$32 billion

The total market value lost Friday in the “Death by Amazon” index, a custom basket of stocks deemed most vulnerable to encroachment by the online retail giant.
Canada
By Natalie Wong

     (Bloomberg) — Canadian stocks gained as financial shares rose along with bond yields, and Hudson’s Bay Co. got a big boost from an activist investor.
     The S&P/TSX Composite Index closed up 73 points or 0.5 percent to 15,266.04, helped by gains in financials, health care and consumer discretionary stocks that offset a decline in energy. 
     Hudson’s Bay rose as much as 18 percent, the most in more than two years, after Land & Buildings Investment Management acquired 4.3 percent of the company and urged it to monetize its real estate portfolio. This pushed consumer discretionary stocks to a 1.5 percent gain.
    Health-care stocks rose 4.1 percent as Valeant Pharmaceuticals International Inc. soared 5.9 percent after its largest shareholder, billionaire John Paulson, joined the board. Financials gained 0.8 percent after earlier rising 1.4 percent, the most since April.
     In other moves:
* ProMetic Life Sciences Inc. rose 10.9 percent, recovering from an 11 percent drop last Friday after offering shares to the market at a discount
* Shopify Inc. gained 3.7 percent amid a broader rally in tech stocks
* Eldorado Gold Corp. rose 5.4 percent; regulatory and deal uncertainties made it relatively cheap after it fell 18 percent this year
* Energy stocks fell 0.4 percent as Enbridge Inc. dropped 2.9 percent and Suncor Energy Inc. slid 8 percent.
US
By Jeremy Herron and Luzi Ann Javier

     (Bloomberg) — U.S. technology shares led gains that sent benchmark equity indexes to fresh records, while hawkish comments from a Federal Reserve official boosted the dollar and Treasury yields.
     The Nasdaq 100 Index jumped the most since November, as large-cap tech stocks rebounded from two weeks of declines, though not enough to recoup all of the losses that started June 9. The S&P 500 Index and Dow Jones Industrial Average ended at all-time highs. Treasuries fell after William Dudley said halting the tightening cycle now would imperil the economy. The dollar rose to the highest versus the yen since June 2, while gold slipped to a one-month low as haven demand ebbed.
     In Asia, the focus is on the MSCI Inc. decision on whether to include China A shares in its global indexes; Hong Kong stocks surged in advance of Tuesday’s announcement. Oil continued to languish at about $45 per barrel as U.S. drillers continue to add rigs, blunting OPEC-led efforts to rebalance an oversupplied market.
     The rebound in tech shares exemplified the risk-on mood among investors as the week began, with Apple Inc. leading a rebound in the some of the year’s highest fliers — though the tech indexes remain about 2 percent below records achieved earlier this month. Commodities continued to slump, damping inflation expectations even as the Fed insists tighter policy remains appropriate. And a cloud of uncertainty remains over both U.K. leadership and the outlook for Brexit negotiations. 
     “Risk assets around the world are rallying again as the ‘carry party’ resumes,” Societe Generale SA strategist Kit Juckes wrote in a client note. Fed Chair Janet Yellen “did nothing to persuade the market” to take its hawkish outlook for the path of interest rates seriously, he said.
     Here are some of the key upcoming events:
* Vice-Chair Stanley Fischer speaks tomorrow, as Fed speakers dominate the week. Then the list reads: Eric Rosengren, Robert Kaplan, Jerome Powell, James Bullard and Loretta Mester.
* MSCI announces whether it approved Chinese-listed stocks in its global benchmarks. The $6.8 trillion onshore market is the world’s second-largest and accounts for 9 percent of global stock value, but has been rejected for index inclusion three times by MSCI over issues including capital controls and long trading halts. MSCI’s decision is expected Tuesday after the close of U.S. markets.
* The International Paris Air Show is underway.      
Here are the main moves in markets:
     Stocks
* The S&P 500 Index rose 0.8 percent to a record 2,453.25 as of 4 p.m. in New York. Tech shares in the measure jumped 1.7 percent while health-care shares added 1.1 percent.
* The Dow Jones Industrial Average also closed at an all-time high, adding more than 140 points to 21,527.
* The Nasdaq 100 jumped 1.6 percent, the most since Nov. 7. It’s still about 2 percent short of its best ever finish on June 8.
* Apple surged almost 3 percent, while chipmakers from Micron Technology Inc. to Advanced Micro Devices Inc. added more than 4 percent.
* Small caps in the Russell 2000 Index rose 0.8 percent. That index sits about 0.5 percent below its record set June 13.
* The Stoxx Europe 600 jumped 0.9 percent after falling 0.5 percent last week.
     Currencies
* The Bloomberg Dollar Spot Index advanced 0.4 percent. The measure added to gains after Dudley said he is confident that the economic expansion has a way to run and that wage growth is likely to quicken, though inflation is lower than the Fed would like.
* The yen declined 0.7 percent to 111.595 per dollar.
* The pound fell 0.4 percent to $1.2732. The euro dropped 0.4 percent to $1.1153.
     Bonds
* The yield on 10-year Treasuries rose four basis points to 2.19 percent.
* Argentina will test investor confidence by offering its first 100-year bond barely a year after finally settling a protracted legal dispute tied to a $95 billion default.
* U.K. 10-year yields rose one basis point to 1.03 percent; those in Germany increased less than one basis point to 0.28 percent.
     Commodities
* West Texas Intermediate oil slipped 1.2 percent to settle at $44.20 a barrel. Crude has fallen four weeks straight as U.S. drillers continue to add rigs, blunting OPEC-led efforts to rebalance an oversupplied market.
* Gold futures slid 0.8 percent to settle at $1,246.70 an ounce, capping an eighth decline in nine sessions. The metal has fallen 4 percent since trading at a seven-month high on June 6.

 

Have a wonderful evening everyone.

 

Be magnificent!

One must become poor inwardly
for then there is no seeking, no asking,
no desire – nothing!
It is inward poverty
that can see the truth of a life in which
there is no conflict at all.
Krishnamurti

As ever,

Carolann

 

I like the dreams of the future better than the history of the past.
                                             -Thomas Jefferson, 1943-1826

Carolann Steinhoff, B.Sc., CFP®, CIM, CIWM
Portfolio Manager &
Senior Vice-President

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