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A top down summary and up to date information on the economy and investment markets – read our updates to learn more about how current events impact your portfolio.
January 4, 2026 | Ascendant Wealth Partners
Highlights Headline risks and geopolitical events were prevalent throughout 2025, leading to significant market volatility. The significant progress in artificial intelligence (AI) emerged as the dominant narrative, minimizing the impact of initial tariff...
October 17, 2025 | Ascendant Wealth Partners
Directionally, most major central banks have been reducing interest rates to stimulate economic demand – despite inflation continuing to run above desired targets. The market expects continued interest rate cuts from both the Bank of Canada and the U.S. Federal Reserve between now and the end of the year. Lower interest rates have a direct impact on valuations across all asset classes – and can have a material impact on traditional fixed income returns. In this publication of the Pinnacle, we explore opportunities to earn attractive returns through opportunistic and alternative investment strategies.
September 17, 2025 | Ascendant Wealth Partners
As 2025 unfolds, the Canadian Dollar’s recent strength against the U.S. Dollar has reversed a multi-year trend, with implications on portfolio performance this year. In our latest Special Report, Navigating Currency Shifts: The Impact of a Stronger Canadian Dollar on 2025 Portfolio Returns, we examine how currency dynamics are affecting returns, why diversification beyond Canada remains critical, and how strategic hedging can help manage risk in a changing market environment.
July 18, 2025 | Ascendant Wealth Partners
As tariff-related uncertainty begins to ease, constructive trade negotiations, encouraging signs of economic resilience, and strengthening global growth are all helping to support a more optimistic outlook for continued global expansion. While markets have responded positively to these developments, significant structural challenges persist, particularly with regard to trade, global geopolitics, and long-term fiscal sustainability. In this edition of The Pinnacle, we explore recent market developments and discuss our current thoughts and portfolio strategy.
May 2, 2025 | Ascendant Wealth Partners
In early April, President Trump and the Republican administration announced reciprocal tariffs on over 100 trade partners, prompting a material increase in volatility across major asset classes. While recent policy signals have helped calm markets, ongoing uncertainty continues to pose risks to near-term economic growth.
March 6, 2025 | Ascendant Wealth Partners
A lot has happened during Trump’s first 100 days in office and we now find ourselves in an uncertain environment with respect to tariffs and trade policy. In this special edition of the Pinnacle, we discuss our Canadian equity market views, and where suitable, the reallocation we are making to reduce Canadian equity exposure in client portfolios.”
January 28, 2025 | Ascendant Wealth Partners
It has only been one week since Trump was inaugurated as the 47th President of the United States and Canada has been caught in the crosshairs of the tariff debate. In this special report, we provide our insights and thinking on what tariffs could mean for Canada, including a review of the potential impacts across our investment portfolios.
January 3, 2025 | Ascendant Wealth Partners
A common market truism goes: “Bull markets climb a wall of worry; bear markets slide down a river of hope”. Simply put, most bull markets are accompanied by a coterie of naysayers. Often, skeptics (bears) have a reasonable thesis as to why a positive trend in market performance should (or could) come to an end – in these environments, a bull market that continues to trend higher is said to “climb the wall of worry”.
November 7, 2024 | Ascendant Wealth Partners
We expect a pro-growth economic agenda will be pushed forward with the Republicans retaking control of the Presidency and the Senate. While the House is too close to call at this time, the Republicans are now favoured to win a narrow House majority. As a reminder, our comments below are focused on the economic implications of a Trump led Republican government. It is important to separate economics and market outcomes with Trump’s domestic, social, and foreign policies.
October 23, 2024 | Ascendant Wealth Partners
In this Fall 2024 edition of the Pinnacle, we pose questions to Jim Bantis, Senior Portfolio Manager and Head of Asset Allocation at Ascendant Wealth Partners, on topics such as interest rate policy, the upcoming U.S. election, recent stimulus announcements out of China, and the change in equity market leadership that is taking hold. Before we get to this interview, a quick recap on the markets.
July 12, 2024 | Ascendant Wealth Partners
In this edition of the Pinnacle, we will review key developments and market performance from the first half of 2024, including the AWP Team’s latest market outlook and commentary. As well, we will discuss Canada’s growth challenge, including an interview with Nathan Janzen from the RBC Economics team, who shares his insights. We also speak with Jim Bantis and Bruce Leboff, Co-Chairs of the Ascendant Wealth Partners Asset Allocation Committee, who share their thoughts on our positioning to Canada and other key themes.
July 15, 2024 | RBC Economics Team
An in-depth look at the reasons behind Canada’s drop in productivity over the past two decades and possible solutions.
May 30, 2024 | RBC Portfolio Advisory Group
May has been a noticeably better month for global markets, largely fueled by data from the U.S. A weaker pace of job growth and inflation numbers that did not show the kind of acceleration seen in prior months have rekindled hopes that the U.S. Federal Reserve may start cutting interest rates in the second half of the year.
April 16, 2024 | Ascendant Wealth Partners
In this quarter’s publication, we will review key developments and market performance from Q1 2024, including the AWP Team’s latest market outlook and commentary. Additionally, we will be providing an overview of alternative and private investments as an asset class – including a discussion on the potential role alternatives can play for diversification in a portfolio.
February 23, 2024 | RBC Portfolio Advisory Group
Global equity markets have maintained their strong start to the year, despite investors needing to recalibrate their expectations for the timing of interest rate cuts.
January 10, 2024 | Ascendant Wealth Partners
We are cautiously optimistic heading into 2024. With general yields at levels not seen in over 15 years, intermediate fixed rate coupon bonds are once again an attractive opportunity. In addition, U.S. mid cap equities are compelling in an asset class dominated by the Magnificent Seven.
December 1, 2023 | RBC Portfolio Advisory Group
The month of November finished on a high note, marking one of the best months this year for global equity and fixed income markets.
October 12, 2023 | Ascendant Wealth Partners
A topline summary of the economy as well as the investment markets and how they impact your portfolio, The Pinnacle is penned by Ascendant Wealth Partners’ Evan Howard.
Discover articles from thought leaders across RBC on a variety of relevant and engaging topics.
The level of the overnight rate is still restrictive at 3.75% and the BoC in the press release hinted at future rate cuts will follow to support a return to stronger GDP growth.
The influx is continuing to build inventory—which is still hovering near the equivalent of four months of supply.
The Fed has finally aggressively lowered interest rates. While a steeper yield curve reflects the market’s optimism that rate cuts will shore up the economic outlook, further steepness could be a sign the Fed will cut rates deeply, likely due to a re
Canada is back at 2% inflation, but it’s too soon to pop the champagne. What’s driving prices now looks very different from before the pandemic.
After a first interest rate cut in June, the Bank of Canada (BoC) again lowered its key overnight rate by 25 basis points at its meeting Wednesday, to 4.5%. The move was in line with market and our own expectations ahead of the announcement.
The latest Business Outlook Survey largely confirmed further normalizing in a few key areas that the central bank has deemed critical to future inflation trends.
Geopolitical tensions and policy uncertainty are driving inflation risks. We look at the potential role of fixed income in portfolio positioning.
