Market View 

Canada’s Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) rose to a seasonally adjusted 49.8 in March, below 50 which indicates a contraction in the manufacturing activities, but the overall is improving over the last few months. On the other hand, an inflation slowdown in the coming months could be challenging than expected as the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) oil output fell, due to voluntary supply cuts from some members, pushing oil prices higher. The Canadian dollar was 74.17 cents USD. The U.S. S&P500 ended the week flat, while the TSX was up 0.3%.

It was a mixed week of greens and reds. Materials rose 5.6%, while energy gained 4.6%. Industrials dropped 2.3% while consumer staples and industrials edged down by 1.8% and 1.6%, respectively. Consumer discretionary slid by 0.5%, while financials gave up 0.3%. The most heavily traded shares by volume were Toronto-Dominion Bank, Tilray Brands and Canopy Growth Corporation.

5 from 5i

Here are five reads we found interesting last week:

• Generational Luck in the Housing Market, written and published by Ben Carlson of Ritholtz Wealth Management LLC
• Better investors make fewer decisions, written and published by Abnormal Returns
• The Most Important Concept in Finance, written by Ben Carlson of Ritholtz Wealth Management LLC
• Which Alternatives Fit Into Your Portfolio?, by Karen Zaya of Morningstar
• Does consumer sentiment correlate with the real economy?  published by The Bonddad Blog

Happy Reading & Stay Safe!

Disclosure: The analyst(s) responsible for this report do not have a financial or other interest in securities mentioned.