Every day ROB Insight delivers exclusive analysis on breaking business news and market-moving events. Streetwise offers news and analysis on Bay Street and the world of finance. Inside the Market delivers up-to-the-minute insights on market news as it develops.
Here are our editors' picks of some of the best reads available to Globe Unlimited subscribers this week.
Commodities losing lustre
While tumbling oil prices have been grabbing all the headlines, things aren't so rosy for other commodities either. Copper is down 16 per cent this year, cotton by almost a third, and corn futures have halved since their 2012 peak. The global economy and commodity prices have been closely linked for more than a decade, but now we may be on the verge of a decoupling, writes Carl Mortished in ROB Insight, where resource-rich nations such as Canada won't be able to rely on commodities as heavily as they have for their prosperity.
Repsol grabs a falling knife
It may be a friendly acquisition, but there sure are some grumpy faces around after oil patch player Talisman sold out to Spain's Repsol this week. The shares were closing in on $14 within the past two years, but investors will receive just $9.33 apiece. On the other side of the transaction, Repsol investors have picked up assets no one else wanted, in a volatile market that could see more downward pressure. In Streetwise, Tim Kiladze looks at the strategy and reasoning behind the deal for Respol.
Debt in the energy sector
What a difference an oil price makes. The spectacular collapse of crude prices changes the game for just about everybody in the sector, with a couple of big names already announcing they're seeking – gulp – "strategic alternatives." With financial pressures bound to mount for many companies, those with the strongest debt positions will have a far less rocky time than those groaning under a mountain of debt. In Inside the Market, Scott Barlow wades through the Canadian energy sector to discover the 10 best and 10 worst-placed companies.
Bright spots amid the gloom
Not all emerging markets are created equal, but investors are treating them as though they were. With China slowing, Brazil staggering along, Mexico contending with serious violence – and we won't even mention Russia's travails – there's been a flight from emerging markets. But the gloom isn't hovering everywhere. In ROB Insight, Ian McGugan explains why the knee-jerk flight to safety is overdone and looks at a few of the brighter spots that are poised to perform better in the coming year.
Couch-Tard takes purchase to the checkout
Quebec-based convenience store giant Alimentation Couche-Tard has been chomping at the bit to make an acquisition for several months, and ultimately decided on a business it knows best in a market it's at home in. The purchase of southeastern U.S. chain The Pantry, with its 1,500 outlets, will bolster its presence in the region alongside its Circle K banner. The Pantry's Kangaroo Express brand hasn't exactly been hopping along lately, but with a recovery plan under way, Couche-Tard saw an opportunity to bring its know-how to the company to help put a spring back in its step. In Streetwise, Jacqueline Nelson looks at the deal at the opportunities it presents for its new owner.
Stars and dogs, sector by sector
At this festive time of year, let's try to look at the investing world as a glass half-full, rather than one that's half-empty. Yes, the energy and materials industries have taken a pasting, and they've got some company, too, but there's been a number of sectors that have booked big double-digit gains in the past six months. In Inside the Market, Scott Barlow screens through all the major North American sectors and shows the yawning gap between the winners and losers.