By John Gray, Producer, BNN
While the global economy faces a high degree of uncertainty over the coming months, Canadian stocks are well positioned to continue to rally in 2017, according to the RBC Top Global Ideas for 2017 released Thursday.
Canadian life insurance companies, auto-parts makers, as well as energy and gold producers are poised to benefit from both a recovery in energy prices as well potential economic gains from the Donald Trump presidency, says Matt Barasch, RBC Canadian Equity Strategist in the report.
Trump’s election victory could extend the recent rally in Canadian stocks, even as China pulls back on stimulus and the U.S. Federal Reserve boosts interest rates. A combination of Trump tax cuts and deregulation is bullish for Canadian financial stocks and stocks while Trump’s proposed infrastructure spending could benefit Canadian resource companies, he says. “These policies should be supportive to Canadian stock performance.”
A U.S. economic recovery would also help to push oil prices higher, which would also help Canadian stocks move higher, says the report. Over the past two decades, Canadian stocks move higher when oil prices rise and RBC sees oil prices continuing to recover into 2017.
A Trump presidency also carries high risks, says the report. Markets are focusing on Trump’s promise to cut taxes and de-regulate the financial sector, but his populist rhetoric also included threats to rip up trade deals like NAFTA and bring in tough immigration rules. “Should (Trump) aggressively pursue the stances he took during the election as they pertain to trade and immigration, risks would rise significantly,” the report reads.
Here are the seven Canadian stocks that cracked RBC's top global ideas for 2017: