Curiouser and Curiouser | March 2016

“It would be so nice if something made sense for a change.” Lewis Carroll – Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland ‘Twas a warm summer’s day in August when equities ventured down a mysterious rabbit hole and into a nonsensical world of uncertainty. Like Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, the journey has been confusing, chaotic and at times […]

Surf’s Up | February 2016

“Waves are not measured in feet or inches, they are measured in increments of fear” Buzzy Trent Warren Buffet famously quipped that ‘only when the tide goes out do you discover who’s been swimming naked’. Given that the markets of late are more like a series of mammoth waves, we thought a surfing analogy was […]

Are You a Bad Loser? | January 2016

“I hate to lose more than I like to win.” Larry Bird If you were watching your stock portfolio closely last month, you were reminded of just how much losing hurts. Behavioural economists postulate that the pain from loss is twice the joy of gain. While the magnitude can vary between individuals and situations, it […]

Happy New Year? | December 2015

“It is always wise to look ahead, but difficult to look further than you can see.” Winston Churchill After a difficult 2015, which saw the TSX down over 11% and jokes of the northern peso surfacing, Canadians are undoubtedly hoping for a sweeter 16. While we are not in possession of a crystal ball, we […]

There is no Free (Liquid) Lunch | November 2015

The topic du jour in the corporate bond world is liquidity, or more specifically the lack there of. Despite significant growth in the size of the market, it has become increasingly more difficult to buy and sell corporate bonds without moving prices. Many are quick to point the finger at the Volcker Rule and Dodd-Frank […]