SO MUCH FOR THE UNITY THEME: We have argued for days that the concept of "unity" in Washington is illusory -- and, sadly, that appears to be case as the week ends with the Senate in disarray over a covid relief bill.

THERE'S A DIZZYING NARRATIVE involving filibusters and budget sequestration, but the bottom line i ...

Franklin Equity Group's Fred Fromm and Matt Adams explain why they think natural gas is likely to play a major role in the US transition to cleaner energy.

2020 took investors on a roller-coaster ride. From a historic market drop to the massive rebound in record speed, to markets ending at all-time highs. Kim Parlee speaks with Rob Vanderhooft, CIO, TD Asset Management, on what to expect for markets and your portfolio in 2021.

Fewer than 12% of global billionaires are women, but they still hold massive amounts of wealth. Who are the 50 richest women in the world?

Franklin Templeton’s Notes from the Trading Desk offers a weekly overview of what our professional traders and analysts are watching in the markets.

• Fed chairman stresses continuance of asset-purchasing program• Details of Biden’s proposed $1.9 trillion stimulus package• Rotation toward value stocks con...

Special purpose acquisition companies, better known as SPACs raised more funds in 2020 than in the last 10 years combined. Anthony Okolie speaks with Anna Castro, Senior Portfolio Manager, TD Asset Management, about whether the SPAC market can continue that momentum into 2021.

Canadian Labour Market Dichotomy — Deeper Than Perceived

2020 offered two particularly abject lessons on why “Let’s wait and see.” is almost always a terrible strategy. COVID. The presidential election. “Let’s wait and see.” can take many forms. “I just want to get out because of the uncertainty of (insert scary event). Once things calm down and return to normal, we’ll get back […]

Investor optimism regarding vaccine news and the U.S. presidential election has led to record breaking inflows into the stock market.

Tell Me Something I Don’t Know

THE BIG NEWS IN THIS CITY is the impeachment of Donald Trump, coming later today, amid a major erosion of his support among Republicans. For the markets, the big news will be Joe Biden's pandemic relief bill, scheduled for release tomorrow.

THERE ARE TWO COMPETING OPTIONS within the Biden camp on a relief bill -- ...

Our Head of Equities Stephen Dover weighs in on the investment implications of a flip in Congressional control to the Democrats.

Global output and demand are likely to rebound strongly in 2021, but we see risks that call for careful portfolio positioning.

IT'S DIFFICULT TO FOCUS ON JOE BIDEN'S AGENDA in the wake of the riot, as Donald Trump faces impeachment. But we've talked with some insiders and have initial impressions of where things are headed . . .

A SENSE OF URGENCY is a dominant theme. There's a concern in Biden's team that one or both of the houses could ...

Why financial markets shouldn’t fear inflation

DEMOCRATS IN THE HOUSE ARE RACING to impeach Donald Trump later this week, but there's pushback from members who think this would be a mistake. We agree and offer three major reasons to avoid impeachment:

1. It could disrupt Joe Biden's first few weeks in office. We suspect the president-elect would not welcome th ...

· Market reaction to Georgia runoff elections and violence in Washington, D.C.· U.S. December employment report disappoints· Post-Brexit trade agreement lift...

Which commodity had the best returns in 2020? From gold to oil, we show how commodity price performance stacks up over the last decade.

The Week Ahead - Jan 11-15, 2021

AFTER YESTERDAY'S APPALLING VIOLENCE, egged on by a delusional Donald Trump, it's understandable that members of both parties are talking about impeachment or imposition of the 25th amendment, which could oust the president.

THE OUTRAGE IS WARRANTED, BUT THERE'S CONTRARIAN SCENARIO . . .

AN INEPT INSURRECTION FAI ...

Democrats appear to be on track to win both of the runoff contests in Georgia, giving them an effective majority in the Senate. Kim Parlee speaks with Priya Misra, Global Head of Rate Strategy, TD Securities, about the potential impact on markets, the economy and USD.

Midnight Train to a Blue Georgia? Implications if Democrats End Up Sweeping

We analyzed 200+ articles, reports, and interviews to answer the question: Is there a consensus on what we can expect in 2021? Here are the results.

[Jim Nance voice] The asset allocation quilt -- a tradition unlike any other.This is the past 10 years with an update for 2020:*Reminder: EW = an equal-weighted portfolio of every asset on t

Franklin Mutual Series Portfolio Managers Katrina Dudley and Mandana Hormozi see reasons for investors to be optimistic about the future in Europe.

In this abridged version of our latest Asset Allocation Outlook, we discuss the opportunities and risks of investing in an early cycle recovery.

Investors should be agnostic to absolute fees, and instead rank investment options on their value added net of costs.

This treemap visualization shows the best and worst performing sectors of the stock market in 2020. We break down the winners and losers.

The markets were volatile but offered great opportunity in 2020. See how every asset class, currency, and S&P 500 sector performed over the year.

THERE ARE SO MANY STORIES we'd rather cover as this new year begins -- tensions with Iran, the emergence of a tough new antitrust policy, the likelihood of a dramatic shift in U.S. energy use -- but those and many other themes will have to wait.

THE BOMBSHELL IS THAT DONALD TRUMP GOT CAUGHT YESTERDAY, making threa ...

It’s been a rollercoaster year. Here’s a look at the economic impact of COVID-19 worldwide, according to a survey of global business leaders.

Our Head of Equities, Stephen Dover, shares his 2021 equity outlook. He sees opportunity amid upheaval.

In 2014 I wrote a piece called What If You Only Invested at Market Peaks?It's hard to believe it now, but many investors assumed after a massive 30%+ run-up in the S&P 500 in 2013 that a peak

The world is turning a corner toward economic recovery. Capital Group investment professionals offer their views on the 2021 outlook.

FIRST, THE BOTTOM LINE: Chances of a first quarter recession have dropped significantly in the wake of congressional agreement on a $900 billion aid package. That's a very big deal.

BUT IS IT ENOUGH FOR THE SECOND QUARTER? There are several provisions in the bill -- which will be signed into law late tonight or to ...

Franklin Equity Group’s Jonathan Curtis explains why he believes the pandemic marked the beginning of many companies’ digital journeys.

• U.S. stimulus efforts intensify amid weakening economic data• What do preliminary PMI surveys for December suggest? • Our top investment theme for 2021

The Week Ahead: Is the Strong Canadian Dollar Like the Weather?

In this paper, MFS CEO Michael Roberge explores the attributes of a skilled active manager and how those traits are often critical to driving long-term outcomes.