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Canadian Energy Companies Benefiting From Global Turbulence

Published

3 years ago

10 minute read

The world is going through a lot of chaos right now. From a war in Ukraine to a looming recession back home, people are struggling to live as normal. But through this all, the biggest Canadian energy stocks are getting stronger. Why is this and should you invest?

Before getting into the specifics of the stock market and why commodities are benefiting, it is important to go through every global event that is having a major impact.

The glut of global turbulence

Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine

To start with, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is the most obvious factor in global turbulence at the moment. The world was not ready to deal with such an invasion. Negotiations were expected to keep Russia from choosing this approach, considering what they would have to lose. Massive sanctions would cripple Russia’s economy, and a war would not seem worth it.

However, they went ahead and global sanctions went into place. Unfortunately, these sanctions do not only affect Russia. Rather, they impact just about every other country as well. Russia bears the biggest brunt, but without the resources they provide to other
countries, the world is struggling to cope.

This is hurting developing countries more than any other, as they do not have the resources to spend on low supplies of energy in high demand. Locals are paying the price, with costs rising dramatically. However, developed nations are struggling as well, including the US and Canada. We’re seeing record high inflation that is making life difficult for everyone. We may face shortages if this war continues for much longer.

China’s COVID Lockdowns

While it has started to feel like COVID is finally over, China has been implementing new lockdowns to control another wave. This has led to a low supply of goods coming from China, impacting trade around the world at a time in which supply of almost every
commodity is low.

It’s not just the lack of production on Chinese shores that is impacting the rest of the world. The reality they are going through is causing a lot of unease. The pandemic started there, after all, and their inability to contain it led to the events of the past two and a half years. Fears that they will trigger a new wave with disastrous consequences are not unfounded.

Supply-chain issues caused by the pandemic around the world have still not returned to normal. If lockdowns go into place globally, these issues will get worse once again and it will be even more difficult to recover.

Global Recession

The threat of a global recession that rivals the Great Recession is looming over us. In the US, out-of-control inflation in spite of high interest rates, along with highly overvalued properties, are driving fears.

Whether a recession will occur and how bad it will be is impossible to determine at this point. But the potential is causing people to make decisions with huge financial consequences. This leaves us all the more at risk of chaos.

In this context, why are the biggest Canadian energy companies benefiting? What does this mean for stock traders?

Energy is in high demand

The above events have all impacted the supply of many commodities. Whether it is due to sanctions or lockdowns in China, it is becoming extremely difficult to get hold of just about any consumables. However, there is nothing in higher demand than energy.

Energy is by far Russia’s biggest export. Russia is also one of the biggest exporters of energy in the world, especially when it comes to crude oil. For this reason, sanctions are not all-encompassing. Many European countries simply cannot function without importing Russian energy.

The same is not true for the US, who have been able to cut off all energy imports from Russia. But it is still not comfortable, and all kinds of energy are in high demand.

This is particularly good for the biggest Canadian energy companies. One of the reasons the US can survive without importing Russian energy is due to the supply of energy from Canada. With such high demand, and supply that is limited to an extent, the price of
Canadian energy has risen rapidly.

The strength of the US dollar

With all of that being said, you may be wondering why Canadian energy companies are benefiting so much while US companies are not having as much luck. This has a lot to do with the strength of the US dollar.

The US dollar is considered a safe haven currency. It tends to stay strong regardless of what is happening in the world. This becomes a self-fulfilling property, as currency traders flock to buy US dollars in times of trouble, causing it to strengthen in spite of economic downturns.

China’s difficulties also boost the US currency, as traders turn to the US to import goods unavailable during China’s lockdowns.

The strength of the US dollar is, at least in the short term, great for Canadian energy companies. With demand for their energy in the US higher than ever, they are receiving US dollars that are particularly strong and have more buying power in Canada. The biggest Canadian energy companies are therefore flying higher than their US counterparts, who are earning the same dollars which, due to high inflation, have lower buying power than before.

Of course, this is a double-edged sword. Right now, the strength of the US dollar is great for Canadian energy companies. But over time it will start to impact the cost of all imports from the US, increasing the expenses these companies face and cancelling out any benefits.

Should you invest in Canadian energy stocks?

Bringing this back to the buying and selling of commodities on the stock market, is this the perfect time to invest in the biggest Canadian energy stocks? While it may seem so, the answer is a little more complicated than you might think.

The problem with the current strength of Canadian energy companies is that it is caused by factors that are supposed to be temporary. Sanctions on Russia are not meant as a punishment for their crimes. Rather, they are in place to put pressure on Russia to end the war before their economy collapses and they are bereft of necessary resources.

It is either that or the rest of the world capitulates due to an inability to cope with the rebound effects of the sanctions. Either way, Russian energy exports go back to normal and the price of Canadian energy stocks drops significantly.

The same is true when it comes to China and its COVID lockdowns. They may be driving up the price of the US dollar right now, but things will soon get back to normal. China’s approach of implementing harsh lockdowns ensures that they last the minimum amount of time. This is already happening, with China’s economy just experiencing its best month since February.

This is not to say that Canadian energy stocks are a bad investment. But, if you are to invest in these stocks, you need to be prepared to watch the market carefully. Things can change in an instant, and you can see your investment lose its value.

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The National Hockey League (NHL) has seen its fair share of strange moments, but few compare to the bizarre and hilarious tale of Taro Tsujimoto, a player who never existed. His “selection” in the 1974 NHL Draft remains one of the most legendary pranks in hockey history. If you want to wager on actual players, making the 1xBet app download is definitely a great idea.

In the 1970s, the NHL Draft was a much less glamorous event than today. It was a tedious process conducted over the phone, with teams calling in their picks. The 3 biggest highlights of what happened during that year’s draft were:

  • the draft dragged on for hours;
  • there were multiple rounds and teams selecting unknown prospects from obscure leagues;
  • frustrated with the monotony, Buffalo Sabres general manager Punch Imlach decided to have a little fun.

As the 11th round approached, Imlach instructed his team’s representative to draft Taro Tsujimoto, a supposed forward from the Tokyo Katanas of the Japan Ice Hockey League. The name sounded authentic enough. The league officials, unfamiliar with Japanese hockey, accepted the pick without question. By downloading the 1xBet app you will also be able to wager on great NHL teams too.

A small problem

There was a small problem with all of this, as 2 things didn’t exist: Tsujimoto and the Tokyo Katanas. Imlach had completely fabricated the player as a joke, taking advantage of the NHL’s lack of verification. When it comes to NHL wagers, there is no better platform than the 1xBet Canada site.

For weeks, the league listed Tsujimoto as an official draft pick, and even some newspapers reported on Buffalo’s mysterious new Japanese prospect. Eventually, the Sabres admitted the hoax, and the NHL was forced to retroactively erase the selection from its records.

Despite being a fictional player, Taro Tsujimoto took on a life of his own. Buffalo Sabres fans embraced the prank, and over the years, his name has become a cult legend in hockey culture. Some fans even wore jerseys with “Tsujimoto” on the back. The joke persisted so much that when EA Sports released NHL video games, players could occasionally find Tsujimoto in the game’s draft pool as a hidden Easter egg.

More than just a prank, the story of Taro Tsujimoto highlights 2 things: the quirks of old-school sports management and the creativity of one of hockey’s most colorful executives. Today, with the draft process being highly scrutinized and broadcast live, such a prank would be impossible. But Tsujimoto’s legacy lives on as one of hockey’s greatest inside jokes. What is not a joke are the great rewards that a platform like the Canadian 1xBet site can give you.

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60% of Canadians gamble each month – why the industry is going from strength to strength

Published on March 26, 2025

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When it comes to regulating gambling, Canada has a somewhat relaxed approach. The Canadian Gaming Association oversees the industry, but it’s up to individual provinces to enact and enforce any laws relating to online casino gaming, sports betting, traditional casino gaming, and other forms of gambling.

Canada’s online casino gaming laws are not totally clear, but individual provinces are starting to put this right. Ontario was the first and did so when it launched its own regulated igaming market in April 2022. Now some other provinces have followed suit, creating a safer igaming environment for players in those provinces. Below is a look at gambling in Canada compared to other parts of the world, at gaming laws in Alberta compared to other provinces, and at the future of the Canadian, US, and UK gambling industries.

Canada: a forever love of gambling

Gambling in some form or other has always been popular in Canada. Way back in the 1990s, research found six in ten Canadians (60%) gambled every month. Additionally, four in ten (43%) spent between 1 and 20 Canadian dollars on gambling. Fast forward to today and the Canadian gambling market is worth 14.2 billion US dollars as of January 2024, according to data on the website of consumer and market data company Statista.

It seems Canada enjoys wagering just as much as two other countries that love a gamble: the US and the UK. Data on the Statista website shows that 49% of US adults took part in gambling activities in 2023. Fifty-six percent said their attitude towards gambling had relaxed, compared to the 50% of 2019.

The UK returned similar stats for the same year. Forty-eight percent of adults reported engaging in gambling activity. Online casinos generated the most gross gambling yield in 2023, but it was the nation’s National Lottery that people played the most.

 

Alberta: following Ontario’s lead

The regulatory developments in Ontario have triggered movement in Alberta. In May 2024, Bill 16, the Red Tape Reduction Amendment Act, made it through the process and later received Royal Assent to become law. The act removes the monopoly of gaming by a single government entity and will allow private operators, licensed by Alberta’s provincial regulator, to provide online gaming services in Alberta, meaning players will have a choice of more than one Alberta online casino to play at.

The regulation transforms Alberta into one of the more liberal provinces when it comes to online gambling, others being Quebec, Ontario, and British Columbia.

Several provinces, such as Novia Scotia and Northwest Territories, have no provincially regulated online gaming sites. Some also restrict betting on horse racing and/or other types of sports betting, obliging citizens to use international betting sites for freedom from caps and betting on as many events as they wish.

What lies ahead for the Canadian, US, and UK gambling industries?

Canada’s appetite for gambling is clear, and the industry’s online sector is beginning to thrive. Ontario has enjoyed vast success by creating its own regulated market, one which, in just its first year, saw Canadians place billions in wagers and the industry itself generate more than a billion in total gaming revenue.

Canada can expect to see other provinces follow Ontario’s lead and allow private operators to provide services in the province under license. The purpose of the regulation is player protection. Any province that develops a regulated market will focus on this, so there will also be regulations around the advertising of gambling services.

The US

Gambling online is the future for the US, too, although states are slow to legalize it. As of September 2024, 38 states had legalized sports betting, following the US Supreme Court’s ruling that states could regulate sports gambling directly.

Despite allowing sports betting, some states only permit in-person betting, and only a few states allow online casino gaming. Operators believe online casino gaming is the future of gambling.

The UK

In the UK, the use of artificial intelligence (AI) will get bigger and bigger. Companies have realized AI can enhance players’ experience and are embracing it more and more. For instance, sports betting websites can use it to crunch data and provide iGamers with stats and other data to make better betting decisions. They’re also understanding they can use AI to prioritize content players are likely to be interested in and to personalize their offerings and services to players’ preferences.

Canada enjoys gambling as much as America and the UK. Although laws around igaming are more of a grey area in Canada, some provinces are clearing the issue up by creating regulated markets and experiencing great success. As time goes by, more are sure to follow.

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