Take a deep breath. Believe it or not, December is here, and with it, news of several COVID-19 vaccines, stock markets making record highs, and hope on the horizon. Certainly not a coincidence. Another non-coincidence at this time of year is the appearance of special treats and the idea of wrapping things up with a […]

After making it through 2020, there are few things that would count as truly surprising anymore. Between COVID-19, the wild US presidential election and everything else that has unfolded this past year, 2021 can’t come fast enough for many of us. For Canadian DIY investors and Canada’s online brokerages, despite a wild year of volatility, […]

Update: December 18 After what has simultaneously felt like the fastest yet slowest year ever, we have finally made it to December! In true holiday fashion, Sparx Trading is here to spread old-fashioned cheer and merry updates as we take a (cautious and socially distanced) step into the final month of 2020.  Bargain-hunting DIY investors […]

Hard to believe but the end of 2020 is almost here. Then again, a lot of what’s happening is surreal. With stock markets continuing to rise alongside COVID numbers, and increasingly tightening restrictions here in Canada to try to wrestle the virus into control, it’s hard to believe there is good news to be found. […]

With Black Friday just around the corner and Christmas about a month out, bargain hunters and buying sprees abound. It seems like stock markets are in the buying spirit, too, as investors continue to push markets and certain stocks into record territory. Even online brokerages are getting into the spirit of the promotional season and […]

If there’s one place where the news isn’t all bad, it’s the stock market. True to their nature, stock markets are always focused on the future, and the record highs being notched and funds flowing back into highly beaten-down names signal a view of the world that says things are likely to improve. For DIY […]

Update: November 27 Daylight isn’t the only thing being saved this as we enter the month of November. It seems like DIY investors are also in for some savings too. Like adjusting the clocks back, it’s going to take some getting used to online investing in November. With the US presidential election likely to shape […]

With just a few days to go, the news cycle is now going into hyperdrive. Not a day goes by without some reference to an election – mostly likely THE election that the entire world has its sights set on. For Canadian DIY investors and online brokerages alike, the news coming out of the US […]

As much as turkey and mashed potatoes are a staple of the menu for many Canadians on Thanksgiving, so too is discussion of what’s happening in the world. Inevitably for DIY investors, the gravy comes in the form of what’s been hot and what others are looking at in terms of potential money-making ideas. During […]

Now that September is officially upon us (and Labour Day behind us), it is officially no longer good form to wear white. For anyone long in the stock market, though, that’s probably sound advice, as a sell-off is upon us. Of course, some sales are welcome, and it looks like Canadian online brokerages are starting to warm […]

It’s funny that gravity is often associated with apples falling. This week, we’re seeing Apple as the symbol of defying gravity. Of course, the iconic tech brand isn’t the only one defying gravity with markets hitting new highs – and apparently, some online brokers are too. In this edition of the Roundup, we review some […]

It’s just past the middle of August and, wow, have things heated up all over the place. From hot weather across Canada to action in the online brokerage market, to new market highs, there’s definitely no shortage of action under way. In this week’s Roundup, we decided to shake things up a bit and cover […]

There’s nothing quite like being able to stay cool on a hot summer’s day. Whether it’s with a cold beverage, a spot in the shade, or just taking it easy, everyone has their own preference when it comes to handling the heat. One group not sitting around resting this summer, however, is Canadian discount brokerages. […]

For anyone keeping score at home – July is almost over. The strange pace of time that COVID-19 has imparted on the world is equaled only by the strange behaviour in stock markets that, because of COVID-19, have seen major indices fall off a cliff then sharply rise close to the edge they fell from. […]

Elon Musk isn’t just a fan of shorts this summer. He’s also taken a pretty long view on bringing big ideas to fruition. As markets continue to press higher despite what appear to be doom-and-gloom messages about the real economy, it seems like the distant future is being priced in rather than the immediate one. […]

Summer is officially here. With warmer weather now upon us and progress – albeit slower than anyone would like – in the battle against COVID-19, it appears that there is reason for some cautious optimism. A group feeling particularly optimistic heading into the summer are Canadian discount brokerages. The combination of standard commission rates and […]

Despite what most people, Garfield included, seem to think about Mondays, the good news is that this week isn’t last week. With historic job-loss data being reported, the good news is that hopefully the worst bad news economically is now behind us. Surprisingly, trusting the numbers is now a theme appropriate to the news and […]

Another week gone by; however, the metrics that matter aren’t hours and seconds, it seems. Tests, cases, and, unfortunately, deaths are part of a grim set of metrics that serve as the very human backdrop to everybody’s new normal. While it’s harder to distance ourselves from the news than it is from one another, what […]

For DIY investors, last week’s market bounce is sure to put a spring back into their step, even though stocks are trading well below their levels from just a few weeks ago. Nonetheless, with the fear gauge falling and DIY investors hoping to find treasures in the market, one spoiler to that momentum is that […]

For frequent market watchers, a screen is hard to ignore. Information about COVID-19 is flying at investors faster than a souped up Vin Diesel muscle car and coupled with, or perhaps compounded by, stock market volatility means it is hard to know exactly how to navigate the unfolding economic, medical and societal crises. Of course, […]