The Smof Investment Blog

First Half 2020 Market Update – Charts of Interest

July 24, 2020
 Bank of Canada, Client services, Economy, Federal Reserve, Frank's Update, Inflation, Interest Rates, Investments, Mid-Year Outlook, The Markets
 Frank Mueller

Last week, we presented our Q2 2020 – Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) blog post. Today, we would like to present the first half 2020 market update with some charts of interest. 1. 2020 Equity returns year-to-date The first half the year saw a continuation of market increases until late-February, when COVID-related fears took hold of… Read More

Q2 2020 – Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

July 17, 2020
 Anthony & Frank's Update, Bank of Canada, Client services, Economy, Federal Reserve, Inflation, Interest Rates, Investments, Mid-Year Outlook, The Markets, Smof Investment Manager, LLC
 Frank Mueller

We hope everyone remains healthy and well. We would like to answer some frequently asked questions (FAQ) on the current state of markets and the global economy. We culled responses from various economic strategists and portfolio managers. As usual, we are dealing with a mix of positive and negative data and ultimately, “the virus has… Read More

CERB Payments Extended By Two Months

June 20, 2020
 Anthony & Frank's Update, Client services, Weekly Update
 Frank Mueller

This week, the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) was officially extended for two additional months. CERB-eligible recipients will be able to receive $2,000 per month over the two extra months. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced the extension of the CERB during a statement on Tuesday. However, he did encourage Canadians to seek work and return… Read More

U.S. Fed, Bank of Canada Announce Matching 50 Basis-Point Rate Cuts

March 6, 2020
 Bank of Canada, Client services, Economy, Federal Reserve, Frank's Update, Interest Rates, Investments, The Markets, Weekly Update, Smof Investment Manager, LLC
 Frank Mueller

“Ultimately we know deeply that the other side of every fear is a freedom” – Marilyn Ferguson U.S. Fed, Bank of Canada Announce “Emergency” Rate Cuts of 50 Basis-Points It was an up-and-down, volatile week in North American markets on the heels of last week’s steep declines. Markets rallied on Monday on the prospect of… Read More

Update: Coronavirus, Markets, and Your Portfolio

February 28, 2020
 Anthony's Update, Client services, Economy, Investments, The Markets
 Tony Jin

“History doesn’t repeat itself but it often rhymes” – Unknown In February 2018, we sent out our weekly brief after a week where the DOW experienced two 1000-point drops (the first ever time the DOW had fallen over 1000 points). Two years later, we find ourselves in a similar situation. Before reading about this week’s events, I… Read More