The most popular part of the show — the three things I want individual investors focused on before making decisions over the next couple of weeks. First, the US-Iran conflict and oil. Talk of a deal keeps moving crude, but the real question is whether any deal holds. I look at Brent versus WTI, US gasoline at $4.09 a gallon, Canadian pump prices, and OPEC+ approving another 188,000 barrels per day from September — which effectively unwinds the 1.65 million barrel cut agreed to back in 2023. My view is that fair value for WTI sits closer to $50-$60 than $90-$100, and that's exactly why I'd only own an oil stock that pays a dividend. Second, jobs and inflation. Canadian and US employment numbers land Friday, August 7th, with CPI and PPI following on August 12th and 13th. US job creation has been slowing each month, expectations are for just 57,000, and three of Canada's last six months have been negative. Headline CPI at 3.5% and core at 2.6% are still well above the 2% target. Third, and to me the biggest question of this earnings season: is the tech spend justified? The four largest data centre players have now committed $2.4 trillion — more than their free cash flow. Meta and Alphabet were punished hard for it despite excellent earnings and 82% cloud growth at Google, while Amazon and Microsoft were rewarded for very similar spending. The difference may come down to how well each one explained the return on investment.

Listen to the full show as I discussed the latest stock market action, provided my insight on the markets, and the overall economy.

Do you have a question about investing? Feel free to call me at 416-332-3863 or email me at [email protected]

Check out my latest Sunday Money Show podcast (August 2, 2026) as I discussed the latest stock market action, interest rates, technology stocks, and the overall economy.

Do you have a question about investing? Feel free to call me at 416-332-3863 or email me at [email protected]

I am happy to answer your questions on air on my next show.

Canada's stock market is at record highs while the economy underneath it is barely growing. Chief Economist Pedro Antunes of Signal49 Research (formerly The Conference Board of Canada) joins Allan Small to explain the disconnect — and why the recovery isn't as close as the headlines suggest. We cover whether Canada is already in a technical recession, the productivity gap that has Canadian businesses investing 11% of GDP against 15% in the United States, why the Bank of Canada is unlikely to cut rates again soon, what's really driving mortgage and lending rates, and where the CUSMA renegotiation stands.

Oil is climbing again, some of the best earnings reports of the year are being met with falling share prices, and the second half of the year may be bumpier than the first. Allan Small walks through the Top 3 Things to consider before you make your next investment decision. With the Middle East conflict escalating again, WTI is back above $87 and Brent crude above $90. Strait of Hormuz vessel traffic has collapsed from 77 ships at the end of June to the single digits, the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve has fallen to its lowest level since 1983, and gas prices in Toronto are pushing $1.80/L. What that means for CPI, core inflation and central bank policy is the question every investor should be asking. Then a look at the expectations problem: Samsung Electronics posted preliminary results on July 7 that rivalled the last two years combined — and the stock fell. Taiwan Semiconductor reported outstanding earnings and sold off. Nvidia has gone essentially nowhere for a year despite mid-70s margins and 80% earnings growth. Apple heads into earnings on a big run-up, while Microsoft sits well below its highs. Are the names you're buying cheap, or priced to perfection? Finally, three reasons to expect more volatility in the second half: September seasonality, midterm election year underperformance, and the Middle East. Not a reason to panic — a reason to be prepared.

Listen to the full show as I discussed the latest stock market action, provided my insight on the markets, and the overall economy.

Do you have a question about investing? Feel free to call me at 416-332-3863 or email me at [email protected]

Check out my latest Sunday Money Show podcast (July 19, 2026) as I discussed the recent sell off in the tech sector. Are expectations for company earnings getting too ahead of themselves? I also spoke to Pedro Antunes – Chief Economist at Signal49 Research and discussed the state of the Canadian economy and what we can do as a country to improve growth.

Do you have a question about investing? Feel free to call me at 416-332-3863 or email me at [email protected]

I am happy to answer your questions on air on my next show.

Before you make your next investment decision, Allan Small breaks down the three things individual investors should be focused on right now. First, US big bank and tech earnings season kicks off — JPMorgan, Bank of America, Goldman Sachs, Taiwan Semiconductor and Netflix all report, and many of these stocks are running into their numbers at or near all-time highs. Second, a heavy week of economic data: Canadian jobs, US CPI and PPI inflation, and a Bank of Canada rate decision. And third, why the producers of AI — the chipmakers and memory companies — have been dramatically outperforming the hyperscalers that use it, and what that means for how you build a portfolio. For informational and educational purposes only. Not investment advice.

Allan Small sits down with Heather Exner-Pirot, Senior Fellow and Director of Natural Resources, Energy & Environment at the Macdonald-Laurier Institute, to unpack one of the biggest questions facing our country: can Canada finally turn its vast oil and critical minerals wealth into real global influence? They dig into why Canada struggles to get its resources to world markets, the recent flurry of pipeline announcements, global oil demand and pricing, and whether Canada can move fast enough on critical minerals to compete — including the permitting reform and Indigenous partnerships that will make or break it.

Do you have a question about investing? Feel free to call me at 416-332-3863 or email me at [email protected]

Listen to the full show as I discussed the latest stock market action, provided my insight on the markets, and the overall economy.

Do you have a question about investing? Feel free to call me at 416-332-3863 or email me at [email protected]