A roundup of what The Globe and Mail's market strategist Scott Barlow is reading today on the Web
Bloomberg is only exaggerating a bit when they proclaim that a Canada U.S. trade war is already underway,
"Recent sanctions against planemaker Bombardier Inc. and softwood lumber producers including West Fraser Timber Co. and Canfor Corp., as well as investigations into steel, aluminum and other industries threaten to make Canada one of the U.S.'s most-penalized trading partners… U.S. protectionism goes well beyond the Trump administration's decision this week on solar panels, which has hit Canadian Solar Inc., and even America's closest partners -- those with largely balanced trade -- aren't immune. "There's a pretty hefty chunk of our trade facing very high tariffs," said Dan Ciuriak, senior fellow at the Centre for International Governance Innovation."
"Forget Nafta. The Trade War With Canada Has Already Started" – Bloomberg
"Are Canadian firms worried about NAFTA? If so, now what?" – Tapp, EDC
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Caterpillar Inc.'s blow-out profit results show that the positive effects of an expanding global economy are increasingly evident beyond metals and oil,
"Caterpillar Inc trounced forecasts for profit for the seventh straight quarter on Thursday as buoyant global demand and the recovery of commodities markets drove a 35 percent surge in sales of its construction and mining equipment. Shares in the world's largest heavy duty equipment maker were up another 2.7 percent in premarket trading and have now risen around 80 percent in the past year and 160 percent in the past two."
"Caterpillar profit beats again as sales surge 35 percent" – Reuters
"Caterpillar Tops Estimates Again With a Bright Outlook for '18" – Bloomberg
"Trader Games Are Once Again Causing Copper Market Zigzags" – Bloomberg
"Oil hits $71 for first time since 2014 on tighter supply and weak dollar" – Reuters
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A concerted effort appears to be underway to limit investor access to cryptocurrencies,
"Some products that are labeled cryptocurrencies have characteristics that make them securities. The offer, sale and trading of such products must be carried out in compliance with securities law. The SEC will vigorously pursue those who seek to evade the registration, disclosure and antifraud requirements of our securities laws. In addition, the SEC is monitoring the cryptocurrency-related activities of the market participants it regulates, including broker-dealers, investment advisers and trading platforms."
"Crypto market put on notice — yet again" – FT Alphaville
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Tweet of the Day: "@NewtonGroupSM Remember the #PeakOil narrative? U.S. Oil Output Expected to Surpass Saudi Arabia, Rivaling Russia for Top Spot " – (chart) Twitter
Diversion: "Virtual Reality is the US Olympic ski team's secret weapon" – M.I.T. Technology Review
Scott Barlow