NEW What Canada is doing about the toxic forever chemicals in drinking water
As the United States sets its first national limits on toxic forever chemicals in drinking water, researchers say Canada is lagging when it comes to regulations.
Global markets have been selling off on the fear of a new COVID-19 variant found in South Africa.
The new, potentially more transmissible variant prompted the World Health Organization (WHO) to call an emergency meeting Friday. Canadian government officials are also meeting to address the efficacy of the current vaccines and possible treatment options.
While the number of confirmed cases is small for now, scientists have concerns around the high number of mutations in the variant's spike protein.
My point is, we just don't know where this will go.
What we do know, is the markets are thinly-traded due to the U.S. Thanksgiving holiday and liquidity levels much lower than usual. The U.S. markets also close at 1:00 p.m. ET and there will be some who will not want to hold positions in stocks going into the weekend.
Meanwhile, North American markets opened sharply lower Friday. Oil has pulled back significantly and at one point trading below US$70.00 a barrel due to fears that demand could wain if further lockdowns and restrictions are put into place. Investors have been flocking to the safety of the 10-year U.S. Treasury bond and gold.
You have to wonder at this point if this is an overreaction.
As an investor what should you consider? Begin by considering the facts:
1. Investors and the market hate uncertainty and when we do have uncertainty, it creates volatility.
2. It isn't comfortable, but we have been here before. However, we haven't dealt with a significant new variant in a while.
3. In the past, the markets recovered and the risk sentiment came back. There is no guarantee this will happen again, but it is something to consider.
So let's get back to fundamentals:
1. Look at your portfolio to ensure your investments are aligned to who you are as an investor and how comfortable your tolerance for risk is. How much can you afford to lose and how much are you willing to lose?
2. If you are a balanced investor with a long-term perspective you likely have been here before and stayed the course.
3. In the heat of a trading day try not to let your emotions dictate your investment decisions. Sometimes doing nothing is the hardest decision.
Finally, it isn't inconceivable there will be investors who have been sitting on the sidelines waiting for a buying opportunity. In other words, they might benefit from a little volatility.
As the United States sets its first national limits on toxic forever chemicals in drinking water, researchers say Canada is lagging when it comes to regulations.
Calgary police have arrested a man and a charge is pending in connection with the death of a toddler in 2022.
Prince William will return to public duties on Thursday for the first time since his wife Kate revealed she was undergoing preventative chemotherapy for cancer.
A Winnipeg woman was sentenced to house arrest after a single date with a man she met online culminated in her harassing him for years, and spurred false allegations which resulted in the innocent man being arrested three times.
Almost 7,000 bars of pure gold were stolen from Pearson International Airport exactly one year ago during an elaborate heist, but so far only a tiny fraction of that stolen loot has been found.
Drivers in Eastern Canada face a big increase in gas prices because of various factors, especially the higher cost of the summer blend, industry analysts say.
Mainstream political parties failed to act on European farmers' complaints for decades, one farmer says. Now the radical right is stepping in.
Police say one former and one current employee of Air Canada are among the nine suspects that are facing charges in connection with the gold heist at Pearson International Airport last year.
MPs enacted an extraordinary, rarely used parliamentary power on Wednesday, summonsing an ArriveCan contractor to appear before the House of Commons where he was admonished publicly and forced to provide answers to the questions MPs said he'd previously evaded.
When Les Robertson was walking home from the gym in North Vancouver's Lower Lonsdale neighbourhood three weeks ago, he did a double take. Standing near a burrow it had dug in a vacant lot near East 1st Street and St. Georges Avenue was a yellow-bellied marmot.
A moulting seal who was relocated after drawing daily crowds of onlookers in Greater Victoria has made a surprise return, after what officials described as an 'astonishing' six-day journey.
Just steps from Parliament Hill is a barber shop that for the last 100 years has catered to everyone from prime ministers to tourists.
A high score on a Foo Fighters pinball machine has Edmonton player Dave Formenti on a high.
A compound used to treat sour gas that's been linked to fertility issues in cattle has been found throughout groundwater in the Prairies, according to a new study.
While many people choose to keep their medical appointments private, four longtime friends decided to undergo vasectomies as a group in B.C.'s Lower Mainland.
A popular highway in Alberta's Banff National Park now has a 'no stopping zone' to help protect two bears.
B.C. resident Robert Conrad spent thousands of hours on Crown land developing an unusual bond with deer.
A Sudbury woman said her husband was bringing the recycling out to the curb Wednesday night when he had to make a 'mad dash' inside after seeing a bear.