On Tuesday the S&P 500 was up 1.1% and Toronto was up 0.1%.
The Canadian dollar slipped about a half scent and is now at 91.1 cents. This is quite grand for Canadians holding U.S. investments and terrible for Americans owning Canadian investments. My trade that hedged some of my U.S. dollars against a rise in the Canadian dollar (see FXC mentioned under January 8) has so far cost me money. But nevertheless I have made quite a bit of gain as the Canadian dollar fell and so it seemed reasonable to hedge a part of that gain given that movements in exchange rates are not something I can predict.
Wells Fargo has released earnings for Q4. Profits per share were up but revenues were down due to a decline in mortgage refinancing (U.S. homeowners can refinance when mortgage rates fall, but in the last six months they have risen). Wells fargo’s earnings were boosted by another “release” of provisions for bad debt.. That is not sustainable but it does indicate continued improvements in the U.S. economy as delinquencies decline.