The new North American trading week began on Tuesday, February 20^th following the Canadian Family Day and American Presidents Day long weekends, with investors experiencing the market corrections are normal, healthy and good – until they happen to you feeling.

Bombardier Inc. ‘BBD.B-T’ shares’ rose by 5^% to $3.92 on reports the transit train manufacturer was in talks with the government of Thailand in regard to a commuter rail connection to that country’s Phuket airport.

The price of Walmart Inc. ‘WMT-N’ stock slumped by 10^% to US$94.11 after the world’s largest retailer reported a surprise drop in online sales growth over the critical recent holiday season.

Wednesday, February 21^st had the price of many cobalt issuers rise in tandem on reports that tech giant Apple Inc. ‘AAPL-Q’ was looking to secure a large amount of cobalt for its own use.

Kirkland Lake Gold ‘KL-T’ shares’ rose by almost 9^% to $19.51 after the miner released a larger than expected update mineral reserve.

The price of Devon Energy ‘DVN-T’ fell by almost 12^% to $30.65 after the petroleum company failed to impress the street with its 4^th-quarter production estimates.

It seems that Canadians were feeling a Scrooge-like last Christmas as Statistics Canada reported on Thursday, February 22^nd that the country’s retail sales fell by 0.8^% in December to $49.6-billion.

Chesapeake Energy ‘CHK-N’ shares’ surged up by over 21.5^% to US$3.20 after the petroleum giant reported better than expected 1^st-quarter financials.

The price of Clearwater Seafoods ‘CLR-T’ plunged by over 17^% to $4.58 after the Department of Fisheries and Oceans issued a competing permit to harvest Atlantic Arctic Surf Clams to the Five First Nations Clam Company.

Friday, February 23^rd saw Statistics Canada report that the country’s annual inflation rate eased by 0.2^% in January to an annualized rate of 1.7^%.

Petroleum industry consultant Baker Hughes ‘BHGE-N’ reported that the number of active American drilling rigs rose by 3-rigs last week to 978 active drilling rigs. Further north – the number of active Canadian drilling rigs fell by 12-rigs to 306 active drilling rigs.

As per usual – the Canadian Banks – Bank of Montreal ‘BMO-T’, CIBC ‘CM-T’, National Bank ‘NA-T’, Royal Bank of Canada ‘RY-T’, Scotiabank ‘BNS-T’ and Toronto Dominion ‘TD-T’ reported 1^st-quarter results that met or beat the streets’ expectations.

Blue Buffalo Pet Products ‘BUFF-N’ shares’ surged up by almost 17^% to US$39.87 after foods giant General Mills ‘GIS-N’ agreed to buy the pet foods company in an all cash deal of some US$8-billion.

During the Week – Bombardier Inc. ‘BBD.B-T’ at $4.01, Canfor Corp. ‘CFP-T’ at $31.87 and Spin Master ‘TOY-T’ at $57.30 all rose to new TSX 52-week trading highs while Clearwater Seafoods ‘CLR-T’ at $4.44, Morguard Corp. ‘MRC-T’ at $164.00 and Osisko Mining ‘OSK-T’ at $2.70 all fell to new 52-week trading lows.

For the Week – the Dow Industrials rose by 0.36% to 25,310, with the S&P 500 up by 0.55^% to 2,747 and the NASDAQ ahead by 1.20^% to 15,638. Up north – the TSX Composite improved by 1.20^% to 15,638 while the TSX Venture lost 0.48^% to 826.

With Commodities – gold bullion fell by 1.84^% to US$1,331, as copper lost 1.23^% to US$3,21, while crude oil gained 3.23^% to US$63.54 and natural gas rose by 2.69^% to US$2.67. Overall – the CRB Spot Commodity Index improved by 0.23^% to finish the week at 443.

The Canadian dollar fell by 0.62^% against its American neighbour to end the week at US$0.7913.

And the closely watched CBOE Volatility Index or VIX dropped by 2.97-points to finish the week at a much more calmer level of 16.49.

And Finally – The conversion from ‘A home is a Castle’ to ‘A Home is a Piggy Bank’ continues as the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions reported that Canadian non-mortgage loans secured by residential properties rose by 7.2% in 2017 to a record       $230-bullion.