July 4, 2024, Newsletter

Dear Friends,

Tangents: Happy Friday Eve.
Carolann is away from the office; I will be writing the newsletter on her behalf.

Independence Day: On July 4, 1776, the Second Continental Congress unanimously adopted the Declaration of Independence, announcing the colonies’ separation from Great Britain.

How Did the Bald Eagle Become America’s National Bird?
Long considered a symbol of strength, the predatory bird first appeared on the national seal in 1782.

James Webb Space Telescope celebrates Independence Day by showcasing dazzling ‘cosmic fireworks’ 460 light-years away
NASA celebrates the Fourth of July with a dazzling image of an erupting baby star. Read more.

NASA’s Juno probe reveals ‘fire-breathing’ lava lakes across Jupiter’s volcanic moon Io
New infrared images showcase “fire-breathing” lakes all across the surface of Jupiter’s volcanic moon Io. Read more.

Rare, mystery blasts from sun can devastate the ozone layer and spike radiation levels on Earth
The vibrant auroras from earlier this year have a darker side that scientists are still uncovering. Read more.

How popcorn was discovered nearly 7,000 years ago
An archaeologist explains the food’s likely appeal for people in the Americas millennia ago. Read more.

A cave drawing of human figures and a pig is the world’s oldest known narrative art
Up a rocky cliff face, through a narrow opening, and at the end of a snaking passage lies a painting that archaeologists say is the world’s oldest known example of storytelling in art history. Read more.

PHOTOS OF THE DAY

Nantes, France
Le Rêve de Fitzcarraldo (Fitzcarraldo’s Dream) by the Brazilian artist Henrique Oliveira is displayed in front of the Nantes Opera House as part of the Voyage à Nantes art festival, which runs until 8 September
Photograph: Loïc Venance/AFP/Getty Images

A Clear Welcome | Laguna de los Tres, Patagonia, Argentina
Photographer Francesco Dall’Olmo: ‘This was the first photo I took in Patagonia. Contrary to expectations of cold, rain, and wind, our initial encounter with these landscapes was unusual:
nearly three days of clear skies. Reaching the lagoon around 7am, I immediately captured shots of the sky. Shortly afterward, I photographed the foreground, where twilight had already set in.
This clear welcome gifted me with a rare photo of Mount Fitz Roy framed by the Milky Way arch’
Photograph: Francesco Dall’Olmo/2024 Milky Way photographer of the year

Tallinn, Estonia
A bee-fly feeds on flower nectar in a forest outside the capital
Photograph: Sergei Grits/AP
Market Closes for July 4^th, 2024

International Markets

Bonds

Currencies

Commodities

Market Commentary:
Canada
By Bloomberg Automation
(Bloomberg) — The S&P/TSX Composite advanced slightly to 22,244.02 in Toronto.
Waste Connections Inc. contributed the most to the index gain, increasing 0.9%.
Filo Corp. had the largest increase, rising 2.4%.
Today, 142 of 226 shares rose, while 72 fell; 9 of 11 sectors were higher, led by energy stocks.
Insights
* So far this week, the index rose 1.7%, heading for the biggest advance since the week ended Dec. 22
* The index advanced 10% in the past 52 weeks. The MSCI AC Americas Index gained 23% in the same period
* The S&P/TSX Composite is 1.4% below its 52-week high on May 21, 2024 and 19% above its low on Oct. 27, 2023
* The S&P/TSX Composite is up 2.1% in the past 5 days and rose 1.2% in the past 30 days
* S&P/TSX Composite is trading at a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.9 on a trailing basis and 15.2 times estimated earnings of its members for the coming year
* The index’s dividend yield is 3.1% on a trailing 12-month basis
* S&P/TSX Composite’s members have a total market capitalization of C$3.53t
* 30-day price volatility fell to 11.49% compared with 11.66% in the previous session and the average of 10.88% over the past month
================================================================
|Index Points | |
Sector Name | Move | % Change | Adv/Dec
================================================================
Energy | 9.1499| 0.2| 33/6
Materials | 6.4739| 0.2| 35/12
Communication Services | 4.1764| 0.6| 5/0
Utilities | 3.4705| 0.4| 11/4
Consumer Discretionary | 1.7080| 0.2| 10/3
Consumer Staples | 1.1169| 0.1| 7/4
Industrials | 0.6197| 0.0| 11/17
Health Care | 0.3679| 0.6| 4/0
Real Estate | 0.3176| 0.1| 9/8
Information Technology | -1.7833| -0.1| 7/3
Financials | -5.2486| -0.1| 10/15
================================================================
| | |Volume VS |
| Index | | 20D AVG |YTD Change
Top Contributors |Points Move| % Change | (%) | (%)
================================================================
Waste Connections | 4.0390| 0.9| -51.2| 23.4
RBC | 3.3610| 0.2| -51.1| 11.6
Manulife Financial | 1.8820| 0.4| -86.5| 25.4
TD Bank | -2.1050| -0.2| -35.1| -11.4
Shopify | -3.9720| -0.5| -86.9| -11.4
Brookfield Corp | -4.6930| -0.8| -93.5| 10.5
US
The US market is closed for the 4th of July.

Have a lovely evening.

Be magnificent!

As ever,

Shabnam
“ The triumph can’t be had without the struggle.”– Wilma Glodean Rudolph

Shabnam Mohammadpourmarzbali
Assistant to Carolann Steinhoff
Queensbury Securities Inc.

340A – 730 View Street
Victoria BC  V8W 3Y7
Tel: 778-430-5851
Fax: 778-430-5828