Canadian GDP Surprise Not Likely to Change Outlook

(This is an excerpt from an article I originally published on Seeking Alpha on November 4, 2013. Click here to read the entire piece.) Last week, Statistics Canada reported year-over-year GDP growth of 2.0% for August, 2013 which beat analyst expectations of 1.7%. This growth translated into a 0.3% month-over-month increase. July delivered 0.6% growth … Read more

The Canadian Dollar Prices In A Weaker Economic Outlook

(This is an excerpt from an article I originally published on Seeking Alpha on October 28, 2013. Click here to read the entire piece.) Canadian monetary policy may have experienced an important change-up. With last week’s announcement on monetary policy, the Bank of Canada became a little more dovish. The sharp response in the Canadian … Read more

Time to Watch the Forex Action Unfold: React, Not Anticipate

(This is an excerpt from an article I originally published on Seeking Alpha on September 26, 2013. Click here to read the entire piece.) It has been a week since the Federal Reserve surprised the globe when it backed off from its earlier tough talk about bond tapering. The U.S. dollar index (UUP) plunged in … Read more

Another Strike Against Canadian Dollar As the Public Sector Continues to Lead Job Growth

(This is an excerpt from an article I originally published on Seeking Alpha on May 15, 2013. Click here to read the entire piece.) Friday’s employment report from Statistics Canada demonstrated once again how the public sector is leading the way in job growth in Canada: {snip} So, jobs in the private sector are stagnant, … Read more

Weakening Trend Likely Ready To Resume for Canadian Dollar

(This is an excerpt from an article I originally published on Seeking Alpha on April 21, 2013. Click here to read the entire piece.) On April 17th, the Bank of Canada decided to leave interest rates unchanged. In its Monetary Policy Report Summary, the Bank of Canada extended out its forecast to mid-2015 as the … Read more

Poor Canadian Employment Numbers Bring Real Estate Back In Focus

(This is an excerpt from an article I originally published on Seeking Alpha on April 5, 2013. Click here to read the entire piece.) {snip} This decline in USD/CAD abruptly ended today with a very poor Canadian employment report that was well below expectations. The unemployment rate ticked up from 7.0 to 7.2% as the … Read more

A Weakening Canadian Economy Needs A Weaker Currency

(This is an excerpt from an article I originally published on Seeking Alpha on Feb 24, 2013. Click here to read the entire piece.) {snip} Source: FreeStockCharts.com {snip} In 2012, the yield curve for Canadian government bonds flashed a major warning signal. In particular, the gap between 2-year and 5-year bond yields fell dramatically from … Read more

Commodity Currencies Already Reverse QE3 Gains

(This is an excerpt from an article I originally published on Seeking Alpha on September 17, 2012. Click here to read the entire piece.) I am still working on a revision for the commodity crash playbook to take into account the new QE3 regime, but the trading action is already moving faster than I can … Read more

The Dollar’s Tumble Accompanies A Host of Critical Currency and Commodity Trades

(This is an excerpt from an article I originally published on Seeking Alpha on July 1, 2012. Click here to read the entire piece.) Thanks largely to the surging euro, the U.S. dollar index (UUP) took one of its nastiest one-day tumbles since last October, falling 1.3%. I believe this drop all but confirms staunch … Read more

Chart Review: Canada Index Fund ETF Printing A Major Topping Pattern

Last year I made the case for investing in Canada in 2012 (see “Buying Canadian On Expectations For Stronger Growth“). I have only made one move since then (buying Encana Corporation (ECA) on weakness in natural gas prices) as I continue to wait for discount prices. I thought just such an opportunity had arrived in … Read more