Tariffs Leave the US Fed’s Next Moves Uncertain
As widely expected, the Federal Reserve kept interest rates unchanged at Wednesday’s meeting. The federal-funds rate has been in the target range of 4.25%-4.50% since last December. The central bank cut by 1 percentage point from September to December 2024. That follows the period from July 2023 to September 2024, when rates were at 5.25%-5.50%. […]
Implications of Meta’s New Content Moderation Policy
• After a massive two-year rally, Meta stock faces new risks from the firm’s content moderation policy • The spread of false information may expose Meta to additional regulations and could reduce user engagement and advertising spending. • New rules could add to uncertainty for the stock, which has fallen sharply in recent weeks over […]
Leading Investor Opposes Equinox’s $1.8 Billion Acquisition
Stock image. Calibre Mining Corp.’s top shareholder has come out against Equinox Gold Corp.’s $1.8 billion bid for the gold miner, casting uncertainty on the biggest bullion deal so far this year. The combination of the two Canadian companies “dilutes the quality and potential” of Calibre, Imaru Casanova, a portfolio manager at Van Eck Associates […]
Why Ambev Stands Out as a Premier Stock Choice Among Global Brewers
Morningstar is relaunching coverage of four of the largest global brewers: AB InBev ABI, Ambev ABEV3, Heineken HEIA, and Carlsberg CARL B. We are maintaining wide economic moat ratings for AB InBev and Ambev, upgrading Heineken to wide from narrow, and upgrading Carlsberg to narrow from none. Ambev is our preferred pick, as we believe […]
Three Leading Balanced Funds: Insights from Morningstar
Michael Dobson: Morningstar’s 2025 Canadian Balanced Fund Landscape dives into assets, flows, positioning, and performance. To the last point, returns varied widely in 2024. The difference between the best- and worst-performing global neutral balance fund was 22 percentage points. And so, picking a good balance fund can make a big difference. Here are three of […]
Affordable and Offering 6% Returns: This US Dividend Stock Is a Strong Buy
Verizon VZ stock declined after management suggested on March 11 that wireless competition was more aggressive than usual during the first quarter. But we think the news is just a small bump in the road for a couple of reasons. First, Verizon reiterated its full-year forecast for customer additions, growth, and profitability. Second, we argue […]
Why the iShares Core S&P 500 ETF Is an Outstanding Stock Fund
IShares Core S&P 500 IVV closely reflects the composition of the US stock market and charges one of the lowest fees in its Morningstar Category. The fund tracks the flagship S&P 500, which selects 500 of the largest US stocks that pass its profitability and trading requirements—roughly 80% of the US equity market. It weights […]
Gold Prices Hit Record High Amid Middle East Tensions and US Economic Worries
Stock image. Gold rose to a record high above $3,030 an ounce as an escalation in Middle East tensions underscored its haven appeal, and investors weighed data that fueled concern the US economy is slowing down. Bullion climbed as much as 1.3% as Israel launched airstrikes across Gaza that Hamas said killed hundreds of people, […]
Top ETFs to Enhance Your Portfolio
As the number of exchange-traded funds available to Canadian investors grows, deciding which ones best fit your portfolio gets more complicated. This year, we have a new series to help investors sort through the choices. We’ve screened the largest Morningstar fund categories for the ETFs our manager research analysts believe have the best chance of […]
February Inflation Report Signals Challenges for the Bank of…
Canada’s Consumer Price Index shot up 2.6% annually in February, blowing past estimates of 2.3% and clocking the sharpest increase in eight months, as the effects of the federal sales tax break tapered off. While an increase in inflation was widely expected, analysts were surprised by the magnitude of the jump from the 1.9% reading […]