Paul Martin Commentary
2025 was a strong growth year for the Canadian stock market – actually equity markets everywhere – and the biggest beneficiaries of that bull market is young people.
StatsCan has just released a report on the wealth gap in the country. And, as always, it shows the gap between those at the top of the net worth scale and those at the bottom widened. The reason for that widening is not income as much as it is investment.
Stocks went up sharply last year as the Toronto Stock Exchange rose by almost 30-percent. That was good news for those who held equities in their own accounts or through vehicles such as pension plans or RRSPs. We also saw improvements on the real estate front as interest rates came down, making mortgages more affordable.
And those who fared best on a percentage basis were young people who saw their financial investments such as stocks go up while debt service costs went down or were flat as they move into the higher earning stages of their careers.
