The Living Market Podcast

While central banks have chosen to maintain their current stance, underlying uncertainty remains a significant factor. Ashish Utarid, Assistant Vice-President, Investment Strategy, IG Wealth Management, looks at the recent decisions by the Bank of Canada and the U.S. Federal Reserve and highlights why interest rates are no longer the dominant force in the markets. He says that growth, trade disput...

Philip Petursson, Chief Investment Strategist at IG Wealth Management, discusses the rise in market volatility and the headlines capturing attention in early 2026. He examines the effects of recent geopolitical and policy developments — from new trade disputes to questions about the independence of the U.S. Federal Reserve — on investor confidence.

Philip Petursson, Chief Investment Strategist at IG Wealth Management, explores the remarkable acceleration in U.S. economic growth, as shown by the Atlanta Fed’s GDPNow model. Philip uncovers the roles of trade, fiscal stimulus and regulatory credit easing, while examining the tension between robust GDP figures and a cooling labour market.

Philip Petursson, Chief Investment Strategist at IG Wealth Management, returns with a timely breakdown of the latest U.S. tariff developments and their broader economic consequences. He explains how tariff hikes on Canadian and Chinese imports were far lower than expected and why the most hopeful outcomes for tariffs might not lead to straightforward gains. Philip provides scenarios of how tariffs...

Philip Petursson, Chief Investment Strategist at IG Wealth Management, throws out the consensus playbook and presents three fearless forecasts for 2026. From a bold call on copper’s relentless rise and oil’s surprising rebound, to the prospect of Canadian equities outpacing their U.S. counterparts for a second year, this episode challenges market assumptions and explores where opportunity may be h...

Philip Petursson, Chief Investment Strategist, IG Wealth Management, explores the fourth and final pillar of our 2026 market outlook: the wealth effect wave. He says that rising equity markets and the spending patterns of the wealthiest Americans continue to drive economic expansion. He also says consumer discretionary stocks signal economic strength and shares what disciplined investors should fo...

This episode explores the third pillar of our 2026 market outlook: the transformative AI supercycle. Ashish Utarid, Assistant Vice-President, Investment Strategy at IG Wealth Management, unpacks how disciplined, cash-flow-backed investments in artificial intelligence infrastructure are reshaping economic growth, enhancing productivity and driving the next phase of expansion. He says today’s AI inv...

This week, we have part two of our series on the 2026 market outlook. Ashish Utarid, Assistant Vice-President of Investment Strategy at IG Wealth Management delves into the fiscal engine, examining how expansionary fiscal policies in both the U.S. and Canada will drive market activity. He explains the effects of accelerated depreciation and Canadian stimulus on households, corporations and overall...

Philip Petursson, Chief Investment Strategist at IG Wealth Management, begins a four-part series on the 2026 market outlook by looking into the significant influence of monetary policy. He analyzes the current landscape, the signs indicating a weak recession risk and the supportive macroeconomic factors, with a deep dive into how global central banks' easing strategies will influence market perfor...

Philip Petursson, Chief Investment Strategist at IG Wealth Management reviews third-quarter earnings results, highlighting the strong performance across the board. Philip emphasizes the importance of this earnings growth trend and discusses the balance between AI winners and other sectors. He also provides insights into valuations and the potential risks for the next quarter.

Philip Petursson, Chief Investment Strategist at IG Wealth Management, delves into the current market conditions and offers insights on the bull market's health in this episode. He discusses the market cap distortion story, the rotation towards consumer discretionary exposures and why the primary trend remains higher.

In this special edition of the podcast, Aurèle Courcelles, Vice-President of IG’s Tax and Estate Planning team explains how the changes in the recent federal budget could affect you. He discusses the tightened rules around trusts and the elimination of certain taxes, including on real estate and some luxury vehicles, which will be good news for many taxpayers. He also talks about changes to help c...

Two cuts, two central banks, one message: the tightening chapter is over, says Philip Petursson, Chief Investment Strategist at IG Wealth Management. He uncovers the motivations behind the Bank of Canada and the U.S. Federal Reserve decisions to cut rates. He examines the impact on inflation, growth and monetary policy, and provides insights into what we might expect next in the coming months.

Tune in as Philip Petursson, Chief Investment Strategist at IG Wealth Management addresses the top investor questions: is AI in a bubble? What's happening with the Canadian dollar? And is gold's recent surge a safe-haven rally or a market bubble? Philip shares his expert insights on these pressing topics, providing clarity and context for investors navigating today's complex market landscape.

Philip Petursson, Chief Investment Strategist at IG Wealth Management breaks down the key factors influencing the market this week, from gauging the optimism of small businesses to the implications of the U.S. Federal Reserve potentially reducing the size of its balance sheet. Philip explores the market’s addiction to liquidity and the challenges of navigating low yields and high valuations.

Philip Petursson, Chief Investment Strategist at IG Wealth Management, explores the surprising connection between the S&P's upward movement and the simultaneous spike in expected volatility, a situation that has never happened before. He explains how traders' focus on single-name leverage is distorting the volatility landscape and discusses the potential implications for the market as it heads...

Right now, liquidity is plentiful, demand is strong, and even the riskiest bonds are trading just fine, says Ashish Utarid, Assistant Vice-President, Investment Strategy at IG Wealth Management. He says if credit spreads start drifting wider, that’s your cue to pay attention. This week Ashish dives into the bond market and explores the significance of credit spreads and their implications for the...

In this special edition of The Living Market, Aurèle Courcelles and Sheryl Troup from IG Wealth Management’s Tax and Estate Planning team share their expertise on year-end tax planning. They discuss critical strategies, such as income splitting, capital gains planning and charitable giving, and provide key dates and final tips to help listeners stay organized and ensure they don't miss out on impo...

As we move into the final quarter of the year, Philip Petursson, Chief Investment Strategist at IG Wealth Management reveals all the data points that keep supporting strength in the equities markets. While on the surface, things might look messy, almost every indicator is a positive for equities. Philip explains how monetary and fiscal policy, credit, company balance sheets and low global bond yie...

As expected, both the Bank of Canada (the BoC) and the U.S. Federal Reserve cut their overnight interest rates this week, says Philip Petursson, Chief Investment Strategist at IG Wealth Management. The BoC didn’t really have a choice, he says, with unemployment at its highest in a decade (apart from during the pandemic) and inflation within targets. But can we expect more cuts in the near future?...

Recent labour market data in Canada and the U.S. reveals signs of weakness, with significant job losses and rising unemployment, says Philip Petursson, Chief Investment Strategist at IG Wealth Management. He examines the data, the policy implications and the forward-looking indicators that investors should watch out for.

There is a disconnect between market performance and the headlines that dominate the news, says Philip Petursson, Chief Investment Strategist, IG Wealth Management. He highlights how, in the past year, the market has defied expectations in Europe, Israel and China, despite negative narratives. Philip emphasizes the importance of trading based on actual market conditions, rather than emotional reac...

Philip Petursson, Chief Investment Strategist at IG Wealth Management, explores the market's resilience and momentum in September. He highlights solid profit margins, a recovering manufacturing sector and strong consumer confidence. He explains how market highs are not a cause for panic and how momentum can drive further gains, as he offers insights into the fall outlook.

This year has already seen close to 20 record highs for the S&P 500, says Philip Petursson, Chief Investment Strategist at IG Wealth Management. But can an index get too high? Philip shares data on the 968 all-time highs since 1970, including how long these periods typically last and how, on average, the market has reacted afterwards, including details of gains and losses.

Ashish Utarid, Assistant Vice-President, Investment Strategy at IG Wealth Management, explores the second-quarter earnings season and the role of low expectations in driving positive surprises. He breaks down how companies across various sectors managed to outperform despite the tariff noise.