The Living Market Podcast

Nobody's bracket survives the World Cup. And nobody's market thesis survived the first half of 2026 either, says Philip Petursson, Chief Investment Strategist at IG Wealth Management. All seven Magnificent Seven stocks are trailing the S&P 500 at the halfway mark, while emerging markets and Canada have been the tournament's surprise winners. He explains what changed with the tariff shock of Ap...

The headlines in the first half of 2026 were loud: a war in Iran, oil above $100 a barrel, inflation concerns and a weakening consumer. None of it was enough to derail markets, says Philip Petursson, Chief Investment Strategist at IG Wealth Management. He breaks down the earnings and economic backdrop that drove returns across U.S., Canadian and international equities, explains why Canada and the...

While investors were focused elsewhere, the Canadian dollar quietly fell almost 5% against the U.S. dollar over the past two months. Philip Petursson, Chief Investment Strategist at IG Wealth Management, explains the two forces driving that weakness: falling oil prices and a widening gap between Canadian and U.S. interest rates. With the Bank of Canada likely to shift its focus from inflation to a...

Markets don't climb because everything is fine. They climb because everyone is convinced it isn't, says Philip Petursson, Chief Investment Strategist at IG Wealth Management. He explains why the wall of worry that carried markets through the first half of 2026 has largely come down, and why that shift raises a simple question: what will carry the markets from here? He breaks down what history says...

Two years ago, incoming U.S. Federal Reserve chair Kevin Warsh warned that central banks were getting too comfortable with higher inflation and called it very dangerous. Philip Petursson, Chief Investment Strategist at IG Wealth Management, explains why that warning looks prescient today. With most central banks worldwide running above their inflation targets, and bond yields climbing, the boom in...

Is inflation bad for stocks? Ashish Utarid, Assistant Vice-President, Investment Strategy at IG Wealth Management, went back through 76 years of market data to test that assumption, and the answer is more nuanced than most investors might expect. Stocks have been at least partial inflation hedges across most of the range we've actually lived through. The real risk isn't the inflation level itself;...

The stock market is doing something unusual: rising steadily while consumers feel worse than they have at any point in recorded history, and most of the usual warning signs are flashing. Ashish Utarid, Assistant Vice-President, Investment Strategy at IG Wealth Management, breaks down the artificial intelligence concentration story driving U.S. markets and why 10 companies now account for roughly 4...

The bond market has been sending a message, and equity investors are starting to have to listen. Philip Petursson, Chief Investment Strategist at IG Wealth Management, breaks down what rising long-term government bond yields mean for a stock market that has climbed sharply in value this year. With inflation still elevated, the U.S. Federal Reserve is in a difficult position. Additionally, AI-drive...

Most investors haven't been paying attention to Korea. Ashish Utarid, Assistant Vice-President, Investment Strategy at IG Wealth Management, makes the case that they should be. He explains how sweeping corporate governance reforms have unlocked remarkable stock market gains and why Korean export data has become one of the most reliable early signals for where U.S. manufacturing is headed. For inve...

You have a will. But when did you last review it, and does the person you've named as executor truly understand what they're taking on? In this special edition of The Living Market, host Aurèle Courcelles, IG’s Vice-President, Tax and Estate Planning, is joined by Dan Britton, IG’s AVP, Tax and Estate Planning and Devon Miller, VP, Partnerships and Distribution at ClearEstate. Together, they explo...

When almost everything else feels uncomfortable, earnings have been the one thing working. Ashish Utarid, Assistant Vice-President, Investment Strategy at IG Wealth Management, unpacks one of the strongest earnings seasons in years: broad-based growth, strong cash flow and all 11 sectors participating for the first time in four years. But Ashish also shares a word of caution: this is a powerful ma...

The Canadian economy is slowing, but that's not the whole story. Philip Petursson, Chief Investment Strategist at IG Wealth Management, explains why a cautious view on the domestic economy doesn't have to mean a cautious view on Canadian equities. He explores how the Toronto Stock Exchange is more connected to global commodity prices and international business activity than to what's happening at...

This year, IG Wealth Management celebrates 100 years of helping Canadians invest through everything markets can deliver. Philip Petursson, Chief Investment Strategist at IG Wealth Management, takes us through a century of market history; from the 1929 crash to the dot-com boom, the 2008 crisis and pandemic shock. He reveals a surprising pattern: while the triggers change, the rhythm stays remarkab...

Markets aren't irrational just because they don't do what you expect, says Philip Petursson, Chief Investment Strategist at IG Wealth Management. He explores how positioning drives market movements more than headlines. He reveals why systematic traders added billions in buying pressure and how geopolitical shocks typically follow a predictable pattern. In the end, waiting for the story to feel goo...

Headlines make corrections feel like collapses, but what does the data actually show? Philip Petursson, Chief Investment Strategist at IG Wealth Management, separates market mood from underlying reality. He explores how falling stock prices in the face of rising profit expectations create a better setup, shares surprising strength from major airlines reporting their best booking weeks ever and exp...

Are we close to a market bottom, or is more pain ahead? Philip Petursson, Chief Investment Strategist at IG Wealth Management, assesses recession risk through multiple indicators, including yield curves, manufacturing data, financial conditions and labour markets. He discusses why markets are making a familiar mistake by extrapolating geopolitical shocks into macro collapse, and the critical diffe...

When should investors react to headlines and when should they hold steady? Philip Petursson, Chief Investment Strategist, IG Wealth Management, addresses the challenge of separating emotional reactions from sound evaluation during volatile periods. He discusses the Trump administration's consistent pattern of escalation followed by de-escalation, why oil price increases don't automatically signal...

Tax season is here. Are you ready? Host Aurèle Courcelles, Vice-President, Tax and Estate Planning at IG Wealth Management, sits down with Jonathan Braun, Senior Manager of Tax and Estate Planning at IG Wealth Management, to break down everything Canadians need to know for their 2025 tax filing. They discuss the new federal tax rate reduction and its surprising impact on non-refundable credits, up...

The Bank of Canada held rates steady this week, but the tone of its statement revealed something important about the inflation challenge ahead. Philip Petursson, Chief Investment Strategist at IG Wealth Management, examines why raising rates during a period of oil-driven supply shock could do more harm than good. He explains how higher oil prices act as a tax on consumers, why the Canadian economy...

After oil spiked above $119 and markets panicked, the waters have calmed a little. Ashish Utarid, Assistant Vice-President, Investment Strategy, discusses whether the current energy crisis will be a temporary operational shock or a lasting supply break. He explains that the system is clogging rather than cutting off completely, how supply-driven shock differs from demand overheating, and what sign...

How will the latest geopolitical tensions among Iran, the United States and Israel affect global markets? Philip Petursson, Chief Investment Strategist at IG Wealth Management, provides a thorough analysis. He explains why the Strait of Hormuz is essential for oil supply, how Canadian equities could benefit from elevated oil prices and why maintaining disciplined investing is important during peri...

What does the recent U.S. Supreme Court decision on tariffs mean to investors? Philip Petursson, Chief Investment Strategist, IG Wealth Management, says despite the attention-grabbing headlines, the core components of trade policy remain unchanged. Philip says the bigger story is about growing uncertainty and shifting market leadership. He explores how global markets, inflation and portfolio posit...

AI is having two seemingly contradictory effects on the markets, says Ashish Utarid, Assistant Vice-President, Investment Strategy, IG Wealth Management. AI’s spending and projects are real, and the investment amounts are stratospheric. At the same time, AI is disrupting today’s reality, and the market is already pricing in that disruption before it’s even had a chance to affect companies’ balance...

Philip Petursson, Chief Investment Strategist, IG Wealth Management examines the shifting roles of gold and bitcoin in the modern financial environment. He offers a thorough look at why gold continues to serve as a premier safe-haven asset during global turmoil, while bitcoin struggles with its identity. He also examines the gold-to-silver ratio and the evolving nature of risk appetite.

Philip Petursson, Chief Investment Strategist, IG Wealth Management, examines a significant juncture for global markets: the Bank of Canada’s wait-and-see stance, the U.S. Federal Reserve’s likely policies during a leadership transition and a noticeable correction in precious metals. He explores how evolving signals from central banks, currency changes and valuation adjustments are influencing inv...