The day my Father passed it seemed he passed peacefully in his chair. Consequently, that also happened to be the day the biggest upset in sports history occurred, that is when Saudi Arabia beat Argentina in a stunning upset. It made me wonder if the fix was in. So many probably bet on the sure thing by mortgaging their homes, believing it would be a guaranteed blowout. At this point, I even thought the result may have shocked my Dad, as I thought, could he have bet the house on the game causing his outcome? I am glad he didn’t because no one has come knocking as of yet.

I am still in disbelief, I didn’t really get a chance to follow the World Cup of Soccer over the last few weeks and I was about to miss the final as well. Fortunately, I flicked on the television and France just tied the game at 2-2 in the final minutes of play.  From that moment on, Argentina seemed dejected as they missed the opportunity to walk away with the championship within regulation time. Superstar Messi rose to the occasion to take the lead until the French Superstar MBAppe ties the game on a penalty kick. Before it goes into penalty kicks, the Argentine and French goalies made unimaginable saves. It definitely was one game for the ages!

Now back to reality,  As the world turns, we continue to exist. Markets rely on numbers and data which sometimes leaves me scratching my head. It started yesterday with Canadian Retail Sales up 1.4% in October vs expected <-0.3%>. Then came the big number for Canada, the Consumer Price Index (CPI) a measurement of inflation. It came in at 6.8% vs expected (6.7%) in November, still extremely high. This gives the BOC justification to continue raising rates even though the number came under the BOC’s target of (7.1%) YoY. The effects on families, already stretched to the limit could result in catastrophe. There are many people $200 away from insolvency. By the way, that $200 away from insolvency was spoken in the House of Commons by the opposition as a matter of fact. Keep in mind the basket of goods is always being manipulated therefore you can assume that the inflationary number, in reality, is probably double.

In America USA Existing Home Sales declined <7.7%> vs expected (0%), in November, yet Consumer Confidence improves to 108.3 in December. I just scratched another part of my body. This morning USA GDP (Gross Domestic Product) improves to 3.2% vs expected (2.9%) in Q3. On the other hand, Jobless Claims rise to 216K from (214K). Nonetheless, the USD index recaptures the 104.0 level while Oil is heading toward the $79/Barrel mark. The Canadian Dollar trades around the 0.7350 cent level as the year-end turn remains in play. This is when demand for USD is heightened to repatriate back to the parent companies invested in Canada. Meanwhile, the recent USD overall weakness had given rise to Precious Metals as Gold climbed above the $1820/oz level and Silver tested the $24/oz level for the first time in years. They have now slipped on the renewed short-term rise in the USD.

With the passing of my Father, close to the holiday season, I will be making donations, in lieu of gifts. I have chosen a couple of charities that do some fine work.  Operation Smile, a charity my Father really believed in, helps children restore confidence from the deformities they are born with. The doctors repair the lip and cleft palate, and he always looked forward to making a difference. Plus the Scott Mission and Salvation Army too bring some joy into the lives of people that might be struggling due to unintended circumstances. Plus, St. Michael’s Hospital, for the outstanding care provided to all. With this being said, I wish everyone a Merry Christmas, and Happy Holidays, may we all look forward to a new year of better things to come. Love will conquer the evil in this world. It all starts with us as individuals, blossoming to make the world we live in a better place for all.