Two demographic trends to keep markets rising

Next week, I am running a breakfast session with our economics strategist and the topic is "Is it Getting Late?"

Jacoline Loewen

This long run is worrying many investors. As we all know, change is constant so what could keep the markets trending upwards?

Here are two demographic developments that I believe are likely to move the markets for decades:

1. Canada’s echo boom

As the ratio of a country’s middle-aged (35- to 49-year-olds) to young (20 to 34) rises, so do stocks, says Brookfield research.
Why? As people age, they start to save more for retirement, which is good for the markets. The Canadian and U.S. M/Y ratio surged in the ’80s, sank in the 2000s, but is expected to turn around next year, thanks to the aging of the millennials.

2. China’s baby boom

Beijing is easing its one-child policy, starting off by allowing parents who are only children themselves to have a second child.
“Think about what that means for demand for infant formula, food, education, and housing,” says David Winters, manager of the Wintergreen Fund.

What do you think? Continue the conversation on Twitter: jacolineloewen