FidelityConnects Fidelity Canada

In this episode, we speak to Director of quantitative market strategy Denise Chisholm as she provides her insights on what sectors to keep an on eye on plus what recent data point are telling us about the current market environment. Denise believes we have experienced what she calls a very soft-hard landing and she argues that we are now in the early stages of a recovery. Denise discusses the market’s reaction to recent market volatility and says the market is very data-dependant, but daily data points and moves are not very predictive of market returns. She says it’s important to step back and assess all data and any anomalies. Denise says people tend to focus on CPI movement, but she says it’s more important to focus on the standard deviation of the year-on-year inflation rate, which has fallen to the bottom half of its historical range. Denise highlights shelter costs pointing out that shelter is the main reason inflation remains high.  She adds, outside of shelter, the Federal Reserve doesn't have an inflation problem - the year-on-year rate, excluding shelter, is below 2 percent. So how does the inflation story affect how investors should consider sectors? Denise says interest-rate sensitive sectors like financials and real estate are something to consider as the current risk-reward is skewed to the upside.  She says defensive sectors such as consumer staples, healthcare, and utilities face margin and profitability issues. And she says the technology sector offers both offence and defense with strong free cash flow.
 
Recorded on June 13th, 2024.
 
At Fidelity, our mission is to build a better future for Canadian investors and help them stay ahead. We offer investors and institutions a range of innovative and trusted investment portfolios to help them reach their financial and life goals. Fidelity mutual funds and ETFs are available by working with a financial advisor or through an online brokerage account. Visit fidelity.ca/howtobuy for more information.
For the third year in a row, FidelityConnects by Fidelity Investments Canada was ranked the #1 podcast by Canadian financial advisors in the 2023 Environics’ Advisor Digital Experience Study.

North American equity markets opened mixed this week, and U.S. treasury yields ticked
 higher. Over the weekend, the Minneapolis Fed President teased that the central bank may not cut rates until December. To unpack this, joining the show today to share his latest market thesis is Fidelity Director of Global Macro Jurrien Timmer. With the Fed confirming the market's recent tilt towards less easing and later, he notes that the only glaring difference between the Fed and the market is where neutral is at. Jurrien emphasizes the importance of earnings growth in maintaining stock market resilience despite a restrictive Fed policy. He discusses the narrow nature of the current bull market, driven by a few mega-cap stocks, and the challenges of broadening it. He also touches on the potential for non-U.S. markets to outperform, which depends on earnings momentum and currency factors. He also explores the implications of high central bank gold purchases and the role of commodities and other hard assets as hedges against fiscal dominance and inflation.
 
Recorded on June 17th, 2024.
 

At Fidelity, our mission is to build a better future for Canadian investors and help them stay ahead. We offer investors and institutions a range of innovative and trusted investment portfolios to help them reach their financial and life goals. Fidelity mutual funds and ETFs are available by working with a financial advisor or through an online brokerage account. Visit fidelity.ca/howtobuy for more information.
For the third year in a row, FidelityConnects by Fidelity Investments Canada was ranked the #1 podcast by Canadian financial advisors in the 2023 Environics’ Advisor Digital Experience Study.

In this episode, we speak to portfolio manager Darren Lekkerkerker to get an update on the North American Equity Plus Fund, his thoughts on the current market environment, and what industries are market drivers in his mind. Darren says the economy continues to be resilient even though rates have not come down as expected earlier this year. Company earnings have accelerated, and we’ve seen differentiation between sectors and within sectors. Darren says this environment has been good for him because he is primarily a stock picker where he focuses more on the micro side rather than the macro environment factors. In terms of his investment style and stock picking strategy, Darren continues to look for high quality companies that have a competitive advantage, that are growing over time and have demonstrated superior return on invested capital, ideally rising over time. Darren adds that technology and AI are big market drivers and what he’s focuses on the fund. He owns software - constellation software, Microsoft and Nvidia. He is also invested in the industrial sectors including engineering and design companies. He believes they will benefit from massive fiscal infrastructure acts in the US. Darren points out he doesn’t hold any Canadian banks in his fund. At the moment, he is nervous about the Canadian economy compared to the US. He is concerned about the Canadian consumer since they are more interest rate sensitive than their US counterparts and because of our mortgage market structure in Canada.
 
Recorded on June 12th,  2024.
 
At Fidelity, our mission is to build a better future for Canadian investors and help them stay ahead. We offer investors and institutions a range of innovative and trusted investment portfolios to help them reach their financial and life goals. Fidelity mutual funds and ETFs are available by working with a financial advisor or through an online brokerage account. Visit fidelity.ca/howtobuy for more information.
For the third year in a row, FidelityConnects by Fidelity Investments Canada was ranked the #1 podcast by Canadian financial advisors in the 2023 Environics’ Advisor Digital Experience Study.

In this episode, Christian Leuprecht joins us to dive into the geopolitical discussions at the upcoming G7 summit, focusing on foreign policy, economic growth, and geostrategic dynamics. Christian notes key agenda items such as enhancing security, prosperity, and democracy on the international front. He discusses topics such as the current relationship between Canada and the U.S., and what the upcoming elections mean from the macroeconomic perspective. He examines rising economic tensions, such as China’s relationship with Taiwan, and the current supply chain disruptions in the Indo-pacific region. He also talks about what the broader implications are for geopolitics, hybrid warfare, and economic integration with countries such as Russia and North Korea.
 
Recorded on June 11th, 2024.
 
At Fidelity, our mission is to build a better future for Canadian investors and help them stay ahead. We offer investors and institutions a range of innovative and trusted investment portfolios to help them reach their financial and life goals. Fidelity mutual funds and ETFs are available by working with a financial advisor or through an online brokerage account. Visit fidelity.ca/howtobuy for more information.
For the third year in a row, FidelityConnects by Fidelity Investments Canada was ranked the #1 podcast by Canadian financial advisors in the 2023 Environics’ Advisor Digital Experience Study.
 

In today’s episode, we are joined by Chief Investment Officer and Portfolio Manager Andrew Marchese who discusses current market conditions, which includes the Bank of Canada’s recent decision to cut interest rates, the implications of rising inflation and unemployment, and how the speed and magnitude of future rate cuts will depend on upcoming data. Andrew talks about how this year has been a stock pickers market, and how it’s heavily influenced by overall corporate profits and macroeconomic indicators. He discusses the importance of a bottom-up strategy in portfolios moving forward. Andrew also takes a closer look at commodities in the markets prolonged late cycle, and how some sectors are facing a supply shortage with the current rising global demand. 
 
Recorded on June 6th, 2024.
 
At Fidelity, our mission is to build a better future for Canadian investors and help them stay ahead. We offer investors and institutions a range of innovative and trusted investment portfolios to help them reach their financial and life goals. Fidelity mutual funds and ETFs are available by working with a financial advisor or through an online brokerage account. Visit fidelity.ca/howtobuy for more information.
For the third year in a row, FidelityConnects by Fidelity Investments Canada was ranked the #1 podcast by Canadian financial advisors in the 2023 Environics’ Advisor Digital Experience Study.

In today’s episode, we are joined by Equity Research Analyst Evan Zehnal and Equity Research Associate Vishal Chopra to discuss the evolving AI landscape and its growing impact across the investing sector. Evan talks about the current AI narrative, its impact and benefits, and how AI is being used by companies. Vishal expands on the shift in corporate budgets over the last two years, how companies aim to tighten their spending, and what these implications are for AI’s adoption. Evan and Vishal both discuss the role of blockchain in the authentication process, and how to ensure data reliability.  They touch on questions including how are companies using these measures amid pricing and cybersecurity concerns?  Evan and Vishal also discuss the current artificial pull and push of the software cycle, and how companies are looking to branch out from some of the main semiconductor providers.
Recorded on June 7, 2024.
At Fidelity, our mission is to build a better future for Canadian investors and help them stay ahead. We offer investors and institutions a range of innovative and trusted investment portfolios to help them reach their financial and life goals. Fidelity mutual funds and ETFs are available by working with a financial advisor or through an online brokerage account. Visit fidelity.ca/howtobuy for more information.
For the third year in a row, FidelityConnects by Fidelity Investments Canada was ranked the #1 podcast by Canadian financial advisors in the 2023 Environics’ Advisor Digital Experience Study.