Navigating The Financial Markets
Newsletters
The Hemisphere Approach to Wealth Management
Q: My financial advisor has talked about different wealth management styles. What is Hemisphere’s style and what investment management approach does Hemisphere use? A: As an independent wealth management firm in Calgary, we consider ourselves to be “Value Investors”. There are five broad stages that our financial advisors typically use as part
The Way We Were
2022 was a very difficult year for the global financial markets. Both North American stock and bond markets suffered double-digit negative returns. As measured by the Nasdaq Index, technology stocks fared the worst, ending the year down over 30%. In Canada, the average return for a Canadian balanced fund was a loss
The Looming European Natural Gas Crisis
The Russian invasion of Ukraine has amplified energy security concerns, particularly in European Union (EU) nations. The EU has historically relied on Russia for over 40% of their natural gas consumption. With Russia restricting natural gas flows to the EU, the EU has been forced to look elsewhere for alternative supplies. Securing
The Dollar Safe Haven
The recent strength of the U.S. dollar highlights the extraordinary flight-to-safety of international investors following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Since the invasion, the euro has declined 11% – a 20-year low. The British pound has fallen 14% – an astounding 37-year low. The Japanese yen, another major currency, has
Valuations Matter
The first-half of 2022 proved to be a challenging time for global financial markets. High inflation, rising interest rates, the ongoing conflict in Ukraine and persistent supply-chain challenges have acted as a myriad of headwinds for financial markets. Notable indexes for both risky assets (stocks) and less-risky assets (bonds) have suffered double-digit losses since the start of the year. On a relative basis, client portfolios have performed well and have continued to protect capital during the market weakness.
Recent Newsletters
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The Hemisphere Approach to Wealth Management12 May 2023
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The Way We Were25 Jan 2023
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The Looming European Natural Gas Crisis29 Nov 2022
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The Dollar Safe Haven14 Sep 2022
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Valuations Matter13 Jul 2022
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The Geopolitical Divide04 Apr 2022
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WPC Rising Stars 202119 Oct 2021
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Will Inflation Persist?14 Oct 2021
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A Year into the Pandemic12 May 2021
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Extraordinary Times21 Apr 2020