Modern Investing Techniques — Weekly Digest (Apr 24–Apr 30, 2026)
FINANCIAL DISCLAIMER: This newsletter is for educational and entertainment purposes only. All trades discussed are simulated with no real money involved. This is not financial advice. Always do your own research.
The Week in 60 Seconds
Oil went full rocket ship — from $110 to $126 — after the Strait of Hormuz got choked off, removing ~20% of global supply. The Fed is now staring at a genuine 1970s stagflation trap with no painless move left. Markets stayed weirdly resilient (mixed, slightly red days), refusing to crash even as energy prices exploded. The real plot twist? This mess is pouring rocket fuel on the renewable transition. Our simulated book stayed flat while the NASDAQ danced around, but the episodes delivered a masterclass in staying disciplined when the macro gods are drunk. Value, quality triage, and clean-energy rotation all earned their keep this week.
The NASDAQ Race Update
Our simulated portfolio finished the week unchanged at YTD -0.52%, while the NASDAQ Composite sits at roughly +6.8% YTD. That leaves us trailing by ~7.3% on the year. The index pulled ahead another couple of lengths, but we’re not panicking. This is exactly the regime where static benchmark-huggers get punished and regime-aware investors feast. Time to close the gap.
Practice Investment Scoreboard
| Day | Ticker | Strategy | Entry → Exit | P&L | NASDAQ | Alpha | Lesson |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4/24 | COMT | Regime Hedging | $28.40 → $29.65 | +4.4% | -0.4% | +4.8% | "When 20% of oil vanishes, commodities don’t ask permission" |
| 4/27 | RY.TO | Canadian Value | $142.80 → $144.90 | +1.5% | +0.8% | +0.7% | "Cheap Canadian banks still find bids in chaos" |
| 4/30 | TAN | Renewables Rotation | $41.20 → $42.85 | +4.0% | 0.0% | +4.0% | "War is terrible for oil barrels, excellent for solar panels" |
Weekly Win Rate: 3/3 | Cumulative P&L: +3.3% | Lesson of the week: Macro beats micro until you adjust for macro.
Strategy of the Week: Canadian Value Rotation
1. What is it? Systematically buying high-quality TSX businesses trading below intrinsic value using strict filters (P/B < 1.5, FCF yield > 8%, D/E < 1.0).
2. When to use it? Right now. When NASDAQ valuations are stretched, oil shocks create uncertainty, and capital rotates toward stable earners with real cash flow.
3. How to set it up on Wealthsimple, Questrade, or IBKR?
Open your screener → select TSX → Financials & Industrials → apply the three filters above. Cross-check the latest balance sheet and insider buying. Allocate max 10% per name inside your TFSA or RRSP. Rebalance quarterly or when any name loses its “cheap + quality” status. Takes 12 minutes.
Do this and you’ll own the Canadian version of what worked after the 2000 and 2008 dislocations.
What to Watch Next Week
- Wednesday 10:00 AM ET – Bank of Canada rate decision & press conference. Higher oil is feeding Canadian inflation. Hawkish tone = tailwind for banks and value names in your TFSA.
- Friday 8:30 AM ET – US Nonfarm Payrolls & ISM Services. Strong numbers will reinforce the stagflation narrative and likely punish long-duration growth stocks.
- Ongoing Iran negotiations. Any progress toward reopening Hormuz could drop oil $15–20 overnight — exactly when you rotate profits from renewables back into other regime plays.
- Q1 earnings cleanup from Big Tech. Watch how they talk about capex and AI returns. Guidance cuts could trigger the next leg of value rotation.
- CAD strength. Oil at $120+ is your Canadian dollar’s best friend. Unhedged US exposure in RRSPs gets an extra boost.
This Week’s Listener Challenge
Take 15 minutes this weekend. Open Wealthsimple or Questrade, run the exact value screen above (P/B <1.5, FCF yield >8%, D/E <1.0) on the TSX. Write down the top three names that also have insider buying in the last 90 days. That’s it. You’ll walk into Monday with a shortlist and the exact process we discussed all week. No excuses — 15 minutes.
Canadian Corner
Oil above $120 is a mixed blessing. Your TSX energy holdings get a bid, but inflation is now the Bank of Canada’s problem. Expect them to sound noticeably less dovish. The CAD should stay firm, which is fantastic for TFSA holders with unhedged US ETFs (currency tailwind + no foreign withholding tax drag in registered accounts). Best move: use the strength to harvest a few renewable infrastructure names listed in Canada or the US while they still look reasonable on a forward basis. Your FHSA is the perfect tax-sheltered parking spot for that multi-year thematic bet.
The Bottom Line
Stagflation doesn’t reward hope — it rewards investors who rotate before the crowd realizes the 1970s just called and wants its playbook back.