Record Highs, 100% Tariffs & 7 Stocks: The Survival Guide
Record Highs Meet The “Friday Flush”: 7-Stocks to Watch for Tech Week II
We’ve officially closed the books on an historic January. A month that saw the TSX shatter records and outperform Wall Street, only to be met with a reality check on the final day of trade.
The TSX came crashing down as Trump’s "Aviation War" and an $800 Gold crash changed the game. After hitting historic highs earlier in the week, Friday's 1,092-point plunge (-3.31%) was a brutal reminder that the stock market can give and take in the same breath.
Here is your essential recap of the week that was, and your playbook for the massive data dump coming this Friday: 👇
📈 The Daily Market Flow
The TSX ended the week at 31,923.52, suffering a painful -3.3% plunge on Friday that wiped out the week's gains and then some.
Monday, Jan 26 (-0.16%): Markets opened heavy under the weight of Trump’s 100% tariff threat. The TSX dipped to 33,093 as traders weighed the "Carney vs. China" geopolitical tension.
Tuesday, Jan 27 (+0.01%): A flat "wait and see" session. The TSX held at 33,096 as investors prepared for the Bank of Canada’s rate decision.
Wednesday, Jan 28 (+0.24%): The "Hold" Peak. The BoC kept rates at 2.25%, sparking a brief rally to 33,176. For a few hours, it felt like the bulls were in control.
Thursday, Jan 29 (-0.48%): Sentiment soured late in the day after Trump threatened a 50% tariff on Canadian aircraft (aimed at Bombardier). The index slid back to 33,016.
Friday, Jan 30 (-3.31%): The Friday Flush. A "perfect storm" hit. As Trump officially named Kevin Warsh as the next Fed Chair (a move signalled by markets as a shift toward tighter money) Gold suffered an epic faceplant. After hitting a record high of $5,595 just 24 hours earlier, the metal crashed nearly 13% to settle at $4,893.20. The TSX, heavy with gold miners, followed suit, dropping over 1,000 points.
🇨🇦 The "Aviation War": Trump vs. Bombardier
Just when we thought the 100% tariff threat was the headline, Trump opened a second front late Thursday.
The Threat: Trump threatened to "decertify" all Canadian-made aircraft and impose a 50% tariff on planes sold in the U.S.
The Reason: He accused Canada of "wrongfully" refusing to certify American-made Gulfstream jets.
The Impact: Bombardier (BBD.B) is now at the center of a trade war that could disrupt regional airlines across North America. Watch for PM Mark Carney's response this week
📊 Earnings Watch: The “Efficiency” Test
Tech Week Part II is here. We are moving past the "hype" and looking for cold, hard proof that AI isn't just a massive cost, but a high-margin cash cow.
Palantir (PLTR) – Mon, Feb 2:
📈 The Investment Thesis: Palantir is the "Operating System" for the modern enterprise. Their AI Platform (AIP) helps companies and governments make real-time, high-stakes decisions that save billions in efficiency.
👀 What to Watch: Commercial Acceleration. We need to see if US businesses are adopting AIP at a rate that justifies the stock's massive 130% run-up over the last year.
⚠️ The Caution Line: Valuation. At nearly 170x forward earnings, the stock is priced for absolute perfection; any slight miss in guidance could trigger a massive "sell the news" event.
AMD (AMD) – Tue, Feb 3:
📈 The Investment Thesis: AMD is the only true challenger to Nvidia’s dominance in the AI chip space, and they are rapidly eating Intel’s lunch in the server CPU market.
👀 What to Watch: MI350 GPU Guidance. The market wants to see if their new AI chips are being snatched up by "Hyperscalers" (like Microsoft and Google) as a more available alternative to Nvidia's hardware.
⚠️ The Caution Line: Legacy Lag. While AI is booming, their Gaming and PC segments have been sluggish. If these legacy divisions drag down revenue, the AI tailwind might not be enough to lift the stock.
Brookfield Asset Management (BAM) – Wed, Feb 4:
📈 The Investment Thesis: The "Gold Standard" for Canadian alternative investing. They manage $825B+ in assets, specializing in the "must-have" sectors of 2026: AI data centers, nuclear energy, and global infrastructure.
👀 What to Watch: Fundraising Momentum. BAM aims to double its business by 2030; we need to see if institutional investors are still flooding them with cash despite the "higher-for-longer" interest rate environment.
⚠️ The Caution Line: Real Estate Weight. While their "trophy assets" are world-class, any broader weakness in commercial office or retail portfolios could weigh on investor sentiment for the parent company.
Google/Alphabet (GOOGL) – Wed, Feb 4:
📈 The Investment Thesis: Google owns the most valuable real estate on the internet (Search and YouTube) and is finally successfully integrating its "Gemini" AI to make that real estate even more profitable for advertisers.
👀 What to Watch: Cloud Margins. Google Cloud recently surpassed 20% operating margins; a leap toward 25-30% would prove they are becoming a true profit machine.
⚠️ The Caution Line: Regulatory Heat. With the EU and US both circling "Search Dominance," any mention of forced divestitures or antitrust penalties could overshadow even a record-breaking earnings beat.
Qualcomm (QCOM) – Wed, Feb 4:
The Investment Thesis: They are the "brains" of the smartphone world. As we enter the "AI Smartphone" era, Qualcomm is the primary beneficiary as consumers upgrade their devices to run AI apps locally.
👀 What to Watch: Automotive Growth. Qualcomm is diversifying fast into smart cars. If automotive revenue continues its double-digit climb, it proves they aren't just a "phone company" anymore.
⚠️ The Caution Line: The Apple Exit. Every quarter that passes brings Apple closer to making its own modem chips; any timeline update on losing that massive Apple contract will be an immediate drag on the stock.
Uber (UBER) – Wed, Feb 4:
The Investment Thesis: Uber has evolved from a taxi app into a global logistics layer. They dominate both mobility and food delivery with massive scale and rapidly improving profit margins.
👀 What to Watch: Robotaxi Integration. With Tesla and Waymo making moves, the market wants to know how Uber will integrate autonomous vehicles into its network to lower driver costs and boost margins.
⚠️ The Caution Line: Legal Battles. From driver classification in Europe to new minimum wage laws in the US, regulatory challenges remain a constant "recurring cost" that can eat into their bottom line.
Amazon (AMZN) – Thu, Feb 5:
The Investment Thesis: A three-headed monster of retail, high-margin advertising, and AWS (the world’s leading cloud platform).
👀 What to Watch: AWS Re-acceleration. Investors want to see their $200B+ contract backlog finally hitting the revenue line this quarter.
⚠️ The Caution Line: CapEx Burn. Amazon plans to spend $125B+ on AI infrastructure this year; if free cash flow shrinks too fast, investors may panic.
📅 Looking Ahead: The February Roadmap
As we turn the page to February, the "January Effect" optimism is being tested by new trade tensions and a stronger U.S. dollar.
The Bottom Line: Friday's dip was painful, but it washed out the "hot money" and speculative front in the gold sector. For long-term investors, the 31,000–32,000 level is a far more attractive entry point than 33,000 was. Don't let the headlines distract you from your long-term goals. Check your numbers, stay diversified, and plan ahead!
Market volatility doesn't have to mean personal stress. Whether you're worried about your tech exposure or looking to capitalize on the energy breakout, having a second pair of eyes on your portfolio can change the game. I have limited spots open this week to help you map it out.
[Click here to schedule a "2026 Investment Mentorship Session"].
Your Wealth Coach,
Finance Femster