Hey,

Welcome to Issue #001 of Bay Street Brief.

You're early. There are only a handful of people on this list right now, which means you're getting in before this becomes something much bigger. I'll remember that.

Here's what this newsletter is, and what it isn't.

What it is: Every weekday morning you get one email. It covers what moved in markets overnight, why it matters specifically for Canadian investors, and the one thing worth acting on. It takes 60 seconds to read. It's free.

What it isn't: It's not stock tips. It's not hype. It's not a 45-minute podcast you'll never finish. It's intelligence — the same frameworks professional analysts use, delivered in plain English before your morning coffee gets cold.

This Week in Markets

The macro picture right now:

The Bank of Canada held rates at 2.75% at its last meeting, keeping pressure on variable-rate mortgage holders while giving some breathing room to equity valuations. The divergence between BoC and Fed policy is the single biggest factor affecting your CAD-denominated portfolio right now — a weaker loonie makes US equity returns look better on paper but hurts import costs.

What's worth watching:

The TSX has been quietly outperforming the S&P 500 on a CAD-adjusted basis this year, driven largely by energy and financials. If you've been sitting in cash waiting for a pullback, you've missed the move. The question now is whether the Big 6 banks can maintain their dividend growth through the next two quarters.

The one thing to know this week:

If you hold US-listed ETFs in a non-registered account, you're paying a 15% withholding tax on every dividend distribution. Move those to your RRSP. It's the single highest-impact tax optimization most Canadian investors haven't done yet.

The Tool Every Subscriber Gets

As a Bay Street Brief subscriber you get free access to the framework I use to analyze any stock in under 25 minutes — the same approach professional equity analysts use at hedge funds.

It's called the Bay Street Brief Investor Toolkit. 8 copy-paste prompts for Claude that replace a $25,000/year Bloomberg terminal.

Normal price is $19. For founding subscribers, use code FOUNDING for 20% off.

Start Investing Smarter

If you're not already on Wealthsimple, it's the best platform for Canadian investors — no commissions, TFSA/RRSP accounts, and they just improved their cash account rate.

Open an account here and get a $25 bonus when you deposit $150+: wealthsimple.com/invite/S_X3GW

That's Issue #001.

Monday through Friday, this lands in your inbox before 7am. If it's not useful, unsubscribe — no hard feelings.

If it is useful, forward it to one person who manages their own money. That's how we grow.

Talk soon, Bay Street Brief baystreetbrief.net

Not financial advice. For educational purposes only. Unsubscribe anytime.

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