July 2017 – Canadian Investor

Retooling NAFTA: Canada faces harsh economic truths

July 31, 2017 CanadianInvestor

Canada has a weak hand as NAFTA re-negotiations begin. More attention needs to be paid to the challenges weighing down the Canadian export economy By Jock Finlayson Executive vice-president Business Council of British Columbia Canada enters NAFTA renegotiation’s with a rather weak hand. Canada is a mid-sized economy, responsible for less than two per cent of global production of goods... Read More

How Albertans can invest in their future – again

July 31, 2017 CanadianInvestor

But before they can begin to retool the economy, they must first purge themselves of the idea that the market is the best instrument to determine their future By Robert McGarvey Columnist, Troy Media There’s a lot of talk these days about diversifying Alberta’s economy. (I’m pretty sure we wouldn’t be having this conversation if oil was at $100 per... Read More

Hidden or visible, you’re paying investment fees

July 28, 2017July 28, 2017 CanadianInvestor

Be smart, shop around and make sure you’re aware of the total fees you pay and what you’re getting for them By Bill Green Columnist, Troy Media Some fees for investments are hidden, some are visible. But there’s always some type of fee or cost involved in investing. Some people will disagree with my broad use of the word fee,... Read More

Ontario’s high electricity costs could cripple families

July 27, 2017 CanadianInvestor

If electricity prices keep rising at their current rate, the trade-offs that families have to make will become increasingly difficult to manage By Taylor Jackson, Ashley Stedman & Elmira Aliakbari The Fraser Institute/Troy Media Ontarians are all too familiar with the rising cost of electricity. They see it on their hydro bills every month. But just how much have prices... Read More

Alberta’s dangerous debt binge isn’t over yet

July 27, 2017 CanadianInvestor

The burden foisted on future generations of Albertans is staggering. By 2019-20, Alberta’s net government debt is expected to reach $45.2 billion By Ben Eisen & Steve Lafleur The Fraser Institute/Troy Media Big debt accumulation is becoming the new normal in Alberta – a province that could once boast of being debt free. It’s a significant problem that apparently will... Read More

Canadian Residential Markets Searching for Valuation Limits

July 21, 2017 CanadianInvestor

By Ron Friesen Residential real estate sales in June continued to reach volume above the ten-year average in British Columbia provincial statistics but have dropped off 9.6 percent from June 2016. However, with prices continuing to rise, the dollar value of sales dropped by only 5.6 percent during the same period. “Although home sales remain well off the record pace... Read More

Weekly Stock to Watch

July 20, 2017July 20, 2017 CanadianInvestor

This week’s stock to watch is Circa Enterprises Inc. , an engineering company that designs, manufactures, markets, and sells products to a broad range of industries. Circa’s operations consist of two distinct business lines – the first being telecommunications surge protection and related products, sold primarily to the United States market, through Circa Telecom, and the second being fabricated metal... Read More

Concerns over household debt in Canada are overblown

July 20, 2017July 20, 2017 CanadianInvestor

The drop in interest rates has been so significant that the interest burden of servicing debt has declined as a share of income, despite growing household debt. By Livio Di Matteo Senior Fellow, The Fraser Institute Troy Media With headlines about Canadian household debt hitting record levels and dire warnings from top policy-makers such as Bank of Canada governor Stephen... Read More

Alberta is the engine that drives Canadian growth

July 18, 2017 CanadianInvestor

What would Canada’s economy and public finances look like without Alberta? It wouldn’t be pretty By Ben Eisen and Steve Lafleur The Fraser Institute Troy Media During his Canada Day speech, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau accidentally caused a stir by forgetting to mention Alberta when listing all of Canada’s provinces and territories. It was surely an oversight rather than intentional... Read More

Gold, Oil and Interest Rates

July 18, 2017 CanadianInvestor

By Ron Friesen I am not a certified market analyst or financial professional. I am a businessman, Realtor® and writer with an unnaturally enthusiastic interest in business and how things work. Never stop asking why, I say. With this in mind you understand my articles are not intended as investment advice and are written only to entertain and stimulate constructive... Read More