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Weekly Market Snapshot: Trade Talks Collapse, 50% Tariffs Hit as Markets Wrap a Choppy Week

  Published August 22, 2026 · Canadian Money Brief BREAKING OVER THE WEEKEND U.S.-Canada trade talks collapsed late Friday night, and the U.S. imposed 50% tariffs on roughly $20 billion of Canadian goods just after midnight Saturday. Ottawa says it will retaliate dollar-for-dollar. Here's what happened on the markets before that news broke — and what it means for your wallet now. It was a genuinely strange week to be a Canadian investor. Stocks mostly rallied through Friday on hope that Washington and Ottawa were closing in on a trade deal. Then, hours after the closing bell, that deal fell apart. The 50% tariff that had been threatened, paused, and re-threatened for weeks finally landed. Markets haven't had a chance to react to it yet — that reaction starts Monday morning. Below is how the week actually traded, market by market, followed by what the tariff news means for you and what's on deck for next week. TSX: A Choppy Week That Ended With a Miner-Led Rally The S&P/...
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S&P 500 Inches Closer to Record High Amid Optimism About Fed’s Policy and Year-End Effect

 

The S&P 500 index closed just shy of a new record high on Thursday, with the broad index gaining 0.04%. The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite fell 0.03%, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.1%. Markets are ending 2023 on a hot streak, with all three indexes on pace for a ninth consecutive weekly gain. For the S&P 500, that would mark the longest streak since January 2004. The index is now within 0.3% of its all-time high, set in January 2022. With one trading session remaining in 2023, the S&P 500 is up 25%.

Investors are optimistic that the Federal Reserve can successfully cool inflation without inducing a major economic slowdown, which has powered the market’s recent advance. Now, some investors say the looming end of the calendar year is giving markets an extra boost. “Nobody who has caught this rally wants to incur a taxable event,” said Michael Green, chief strategist at Simplify Asset Management. “If nobody wants to sell, prices will push higher on low volume”.

The jobless claims data released by the Labor Department on Thursday indicated a gradual cooling of the economy. Initial jobless claims, considered a proxy for layoffs, were 218,000 in the week ending Dec. 23, slightly more than the 215,000 that economists expected.

Bond yields rose as prices fell, reflecting expectations of higher inflation and interest rates. The yield on the benchmark 10-year Treasury note rose to 3.849%, up from 3.7%.

Some investors are increasing their exposure to energy and industrial stocks, which could benefit from a strong economic recovery. Matt Dmytryszyn, chief investment officer at Telemus Capital, said his fund is boosting its position in shares of energy and industrial firms.


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