Olivera (Hollie) Winkelaar
Job title: Financial Planner, Sun Life, QAFP®
Languages spoken: English, Romanian, Serbian
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This year, the headlines have been heavy: the conflict involving Iran, rising oil-price concerns, U.S. tariff escalation, inflation worries, and ongoing political uncertainty.
And yet, markets have continued to show resilience.
That may feel surprising in the moment, but it is not unusual when we step back and look at history. The Andex Chart 2026 is a powerful reminder that markets have lived through wars, recessions, inflation spikes, oil shocks, the tech crash, the 2008 financial crisis, COVID, and many other periods of uncertainty — and long-term investors were rewarded for staying disciplined.
The key lesson is this: markets do not move based only on today’s headlines. They move based on expectations for future earnings, interest rates, inflation, policy decisions, and investor sentiment.
We saw that clearly with tariffs. Bloomberg described 2025 as an extreme year where the S&P 500 came close to a tariff-induced bear market in April, only to rebound quickly after tariff pressure eased and enthusiasm around artificial intelligence helped push markets to new highs. (Bloomberg) Reuters also reported that when a 90-day tariff pause was announced, the S&P 500 jumped 9.5% in one day — its biggest daily gain since 2008. (Reuters)
The Iran conflict created a similar reminder. Markets initially reacted negatively, oil prices jumped, and investors moved toward safe-haven assets like gold and the U.S. dollar. In Canada, the TSX fell, but the impact was softened by gains in energy and gold-related stocks. (Reuters)
That is exactly why diversification matters.
A globally diversified portfolio does not rely on one country, one sector, one company, or one economic outcome. Tariffs may hurt some companies but benefit others. Conflict may pressure airlines and consumers, while supporting energy or gold. Interest-rate cuts may help bonds, financials, and rate-sensitive sectors. Technology may lead in one period, while Canadian banks, energy, materials, or dividend-paying companies may lead in another.
Morningstar Canada noted that Canada’s market performed strongly in 2025, helped by financials, materials, energy, gold, supportive central-bank policy, and different valuations compared with the U.S. market. (Morningstar)
So what types of investments are appropriate now?
The answer is not one single investment. It depends on your time horizon, risk tolerance, income needs, tax situation, and whether you are accumulating wealth or drawing income in retirement.
For example, retirees or those close to retirement, a cash wedge or time-segmented portfolio can help avoid selling growth investments during short-term market downturns.
The real point is not to predict every headline correctly. The point is to build a portfolio that does not require you to.
The Andex chart reminds us that the biggest risk for many investors is not market volatility itself, it is abandoning a good plan during volatility.