On Wednesday, the S&P 500 was down 0.9%. And Toronto was down 0.3%. Earlier in the day both markets had been up.

CRH Medical was down 3.9% and has generally given back some of its recent gains.

Toll Brothers was down 2.3%. Yet when I check for news of Toll Brothers the top headline was “New home sales still well below historic norms of demand” (despite increased sales in May)”. However there was also a story indicating that housing affordability has suffered with higher prices and higher interest rates amid tight inventory. So, there seems to be a number of positive and negative factors and at the moment the market has little enthusiasm for home builder stocks.

WSP Global gave back 3.0%. And Canadian Western Bank was down a further 1.5%.

West Texas Oil has suddenly rebounded from its recent dip that saw it down to about U.S. $64. Now it is about $73 which is the highest since late 2014.

Despite the higher oil price the Canadian dollar slipped under the 76 U.S. cent mark as the Bank of Canada Governor made a speech that was taken to hint that Canadian interest rates might not be hiked on July 11 after all.

Trump’s trade wars are clearly a threat to stock market index valuations.

I tend to think that the world will (over time) continue on a long march towards ever more global trade and global cooperation and inclusiveness. However, the U.S. at present appears set to possibly turn back the clock something like a 100 years. It’s often popular to be nostalgic for the good old days – especially among people with no memory of just what the good old days were really like.