Derek Decloet and Layan Odeh of Bloomberg report the US dollar has lost its shine and that's a problem for pension funds:

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent stepped in to stop the slide in his country’s currency, telling CNBC earlier today: “The US has always had a strong dollar policy.” The Bloomberg Dollar Spot Index rose for the first time in a week.

An exception to the greenback’s rally was the loonie, which stayed strong after the Bank of Canada and Federal Reserve both opted to hold rates steady. The Canadian dollar is now at its highest level against the buck since October 2024, which is nice for cross-border shoppers and vacationers — though there are fewer of them these days.

A stronger currency is a complicating factor in the Canadian economy. Some export-driven manufacturers prefer a softer loonie. Among other things, it can help cushion the blow of tariffs. Canadian pension funds, stuffed to the rafters with US-dollar assets, also have some decisions to make on how to hedge their currency and political risks. 

As it happens, Investment Management Corp. of Ontario, a big manager of government pensions and other cash, published its annual world outlook report today. Currency risks are a feature of the new environment of trade wars and geopolitical threats, IMCO said, and investors might do well to explore the Swiss franc and Japanese yen (and gold, of course) as places to diversify.

“Investors may need to contemplate what a rebalanced global economy — where the US plays a different role — means for their portfolios,” IMCO Chief Strategist Nick Chamie said. “This includes rebalancing exposures away from the US to take advantage of increasing opportunities elsewhere.”

On Wednesday, IMCO released its World View 2026:

Positioning portfolios for resilience as globalization fractures and volatility rises

TORONTO (January 28, 2026) – The Investment Management Corporation of Ontario ("IMCO") today releases the IMCO World View 2026, its annual flagship research publication that helps guide long-term investment strategy across its multi-billion-dollar portfolio.

This year's report underscores the speed at which deglobalization is happening, driven by a rise in protectionist policies and tariffs, led primarily by the U.S., while governments around the world seek to reassert economic control. IMCO's Investment Research and Economics team expects the pace of this transition to amplify market volatility and materially influence long-term portfolio construction.

The report distills complex economic, market, and policy developments into six core themes and six corresponding investment implications, offering a framework to navigate a more polarized and unpredictable global economy.

"Our World View framework cuts through global economic and market complexity as a cornerstone of IMCO's research-driven investment process," said Nick Chamie, Senior Managing Director, Head of Total Portfolio and Capital Markets and Chief Strategist of IMCO.

Highlights from the IMCO World View 2026:

Accelerating trends:

• Deglobalization: President Donald Trump's second term has intensified Washington’s interventionist and competitive approach, quickening the global shift away from open, integrated markets as countries recalibrate their economic models.
• Policy inflection: U.S. policymakers are increasingly turning to policy intervention to reshape global trade and financial flows, using tools ranging from fiscal stimulus and tariffs to currency measures, subsidies, and other novel approaches.

Steady trends:

• Addressing inequality: Governments have shifted some attention away from this social concern, focusing instead on boosting economic growth through industrial and fiscal stimulus, though inequality remains persistent and politically consequential.
• Disruptive technologies: Rapid adoption of artificial intelligence and advances in electric vehicle batteries highlight their growing impact across various industries.
• Evolving market structures: While growth moderates in private markets, the investable universe is shifting, expanding retail investor access to previously exclusive private markets.

Decelerating trends:

• Climate change and sustainability: Rising energy demand and security concerns have temporarily shifted focus away from environmental priorities, though the need for clean energy adaptation amid the energy transition remains.

Key implications for investors:

• End of low for long: Geopolitical uncertainty and economic reshoring may fuel inflation and shape monetary policy, making broader currency diversification, shorter duration fixed-income and safe-haven assets like commodities more attractive.
• Heightened volatility and dispersion: Concentrated markets and high valuations, combined with U.S. efforts to disrupt the status quo are setting the stage for market swings. A “macro-aware” asset allocation framework alongside risk-hedging strategies can help strengthen portfolio resilience.
• Capital investment boom: Rising capital spending, particularly in energy, defence, and AI infrastructure, is creating opportunities to invest in critical infrastructure and companies tied to nation-building projects.
• Expanding role of private investments: Private markets support long-term value creation and help reduce short-term portfolio volatility, while giving institutional investors access to a broader set of investment opportunities.
• Managing unintended exposures: Growing popularity of passive investing is intensifying market concentrations, heightening the need for diversified strategies.
• Innovation and flexibility: A weakening of traditional market dynamics calls for greater adaptability and resiliency in portfolio construction.

Read the IMCO World View 2026

A little more context:

The World View is our flagship annual publication, used to inform IMCO’s long-term investment strategy and positioning across a multi-billion-dollar portfolio.

The report distills complex global economic, market, and policy developments into six core themes and six corresponding investment implications, providing a clear framework for navigating the global investment landscape. Developed by IMCO's in-house economics team, with input from IMCO’s investment teams, it delivers practical, actionable insights.

In the IMCO World View 2026, we assess whether recent developments are consistent with each theme or implication's momentum accelerating, decelerating or remaining stable. We also consider whether the developments underlying a change in momentum warrant a reconsideration of the trend's validity. This evaluation is a cumulative process that assigns more weight to momentum assessments that persist for several years. For each theme, we discuss what we're monitoring. For each implication, we discuss potential investor actions.

Importantly, an assessment of slowing momentum does not mean that we see the Theme or Implication fading away. 

I highly suggest you take the time to read the full report here, it's not too long, well written and flows well from topic to topic (admittedly, I have an economics and market background, so for me it was a nice read). 

The two most interesting sections for a macro buff like me were "Inflation and Uncertainty as Policy Outcomes" on page 14 and "Diverging Policy Paths, Diverging Market Outcomes" on page 16.  

I note the following:

 The acceleration in U.S. efforts to address global imbalances, combined with Trump’s unpredictable and unconventional approach, could weigh on the USD in the years ahead while potentially lifting inflation and bond yields. To help manage the resulting risks and
opportunities, investors can:

• Shift fixed income exposure to shorter maturities, given the potential for yield curve steepening. This potential appears especially pronounced in the U.S., where an increasingly-politicized Fed could weigh on yields in the short end, while policy risks and uncertainty contribute to wider term premia – and thus yields – at longer maturities. Tariffs and a weaker USD could add further impetus for higher U.S. yields if they boost the cost of imports, with knock-on effects to inflation more generally.
• Explore potential alternatives to the USD as a store of value and safe haven during periods of market stress. Possibilities include currencies such as the Swiss franc and the Japanese yen, in addition to traditional safe-haven assets such as gold.
• Consider assets tied to production and the physical economy, including in strategically important areas such as AI- and energy-related infrastructure, technology and health care. Given that you “need stuff to make stuff”, opportunities could arise in commodities, materials, energy and other natural resources as governments look to build their country’s productive capacity while securing supply chains. Many of these assets tend to fare relatively well through inflationary periods, providing a potential complement to other inflation-sensitive assets such as real return bonds.  

And this: 

To manage risks and opportunities presented by rising volatility and widening dispersion, investors can:

• Incorporate a “macro-aware” approach to asset allocation that potentially benefits from identifying winners and losers in the shift towards a rebalanced global economy – one in which the U.S. plays a different role than investors have become used to over the past several decades.
• Rebalance geographic exposures away from the U.S. to take advantage of opportunities in countries and regions pursuing new, often fiscally-supported, growth strategies. Doing so could also help limit concentration and valuation risks arising from recent “U.S. exceptionalism” and outperformance. Canada’s response to recent trade and geopolitical pressures emanating from the U.S., including a renewed focus on large nationally-strategic infrastructure projects and a reduction in interprovincial trade barriers, could widen the breadth of investment opportunities domestically.
• Adopt tail risk hedging strategies that can help limit drawdowns through extreme market moves and events. Since such strategies become more expensive when uncertainty and expected volatility are elevated, consistently monitoring market conditions can help identify opportunistic implementation windows. Potential avenues to limiting left tail risk include the use of derivatives, owning safe-haven assets that tend to outperform through market drawdowns, reducing exposures to high-risk assets, and diversifying across asset classes, risk factors, and geographies. 

There's a lot more so I recommend you really take the time to read the report here.

I commend Nick Chamie, Senior Managing Director, Head of Total Portfolio and Capital Markets and Chief Strategist of IMCO and his team for producing this report.

It is worth noting that IMCO is the only large Canadian pension fund that produces this type of macro/ market outlook every year and publishes it and I commend them for that.        

It's not easy, it forces you to really sit with all the teams and think through all the major themes.

Obviously Nick Chamie has the final say but as he states below, it was a collaborative effort. 

Again, sticking your neck out isn't easy, a lot can happen over the course of the year and trends can shift abruptly.

One trend I'm keenly focused on right now is whether the slide in the US dollar is overdone.

My indicators tell me we are closer to the end of the downtrend and I expect the greenback to snap back. When that happens, you'll see the rally in silver, gold and copper fade.

That's more of a cyclical call, but even structurally, I have a very hard time being short US dollars even with everything going on with deglobalization. 

Also important to understand you can't have a very weak US dollar without stoking inflation fears because import prices will rise.

By the same token, you can't have a very strong euro, yen, Canadian dollar because it will impact their exports.

All this to say, people get carried away with their currency calls, I just find there are too many dollar bears out there and that tells me the trend can reverse fast.

Anyways, I need to take the weekend to reread this report more carefully but I definitely recommend you do so as well and even discuss it with your economics and capital markets and private market teams.  

Below, Nick Chamie, Senior Managing Director, Head of Total Portfolio and Capital Markets and Chief Strategist of IMCO discusses their Wold View and how they all worked on it to understand the trends and major themes impacting their investments.

Next, Joyce Chang, JPMorgan Chair of Global Research, Tom Lee, Head of Research at Fundstrat Global Advisors, and Michelle Caruso-Cabrera, CEO of MCC Global Enterprises, discuss dollar weakness, debasement, metals momentum, EM optimism, and crypto’s delayed response.

Third, Barry Knapp, Ironsides Macro, and Michael Gapen, Morgan Stanley chief U.S. economist, join 'The Exchange' to discuss the Federal Reserve, the dollar and much more.

Fourth, A prolonged weakening of the dollar brings with it a number of dangers for the US economy, according to Robert Kaplan, vice chairman at Goldman Sachs Group Inc.

“It is true, a weaker dollar boosts exports. However, the United States has $39 trillion of debt on its way to $40 trillion plus, and when you have that much debt, I think stability of the currency probably trumps exports,” he said in an interview on Bloomberg Television.

“I actually think the US is going to want to see a stable dollar and wants to see stability. They want to be able to sell the long end of the Treasury curve: a stable dollar helps,” he said.

Valor and QuadReal recently committed to deliver a 10,000 sqm cross-dock logistics hub in South Paris: 

Valor Real Estate Partners (“Valor”), Europe’s leading last-mile logistics specialist, has acquired, on behalf of its joint venture with QuadReal Property Group (“QuadReal”), a global real estate investment, development and operating company, a 10-acre site, which includes a 6,500 sqm vacant cross-dock property, in Fleury-Mérogis, south of Paris.

In line with the JV’s value-add strategy, Valor will undertake a comprehensive ESG-led refurbishment of the existing space and add a 3,500 sqm extension, delivering a state-of-the art, cross-dock logistics hub. Totalling 10,000 sqm, the property will be ideally suited for 3PL, parcel delivery, and distribution occupiers in what is Europe’s dominant e-commerce centre.

Specifications will include a 1/109 sqm door ratio, 9-metre clear heights, vehicle yards ranging from 33 to 53 metres, and extensive car and HGV parking. Other enhancements will include the installation of LED lighting, new external cladding, a redesigned and expanded service yard, and the full refurbishment of the office accommodation.

The lack of new cross-dock supply in Paris has kept vacancy rates close to 1% over the last few years. Fleury-Mérogis is a prime infill logistics location for the city, as it benefits from excellent connectivity, including direct access to the A6 corridor, and close proximity to key distribution nodes including Orly Airport and the Rungis International Food Market.

Following the successful speculative development of Valor Park Marly, a 10,000 sqm cross-dock hub that was let ahead of practical completion in 2023, this transaction further underlines Valor’s position as a leading cross-dock specialist in France, where it currently owns and manages c. 70,000 sqm of cross-dock space.

Victor Massias, Partner Head of Developments at Valor, said: “This transaction builds on our proven track record in the Paris cross-dock market and reflects the JV’s conviction in highly supply-constrained, infill logistics locations where this type of product is scarce. Fleury-Mérogis benefits from exceptional fundamentals and through a comprehensive refurbishment and extension programme, we will deliver a future-proof, ESG-compliant asset aligned with the evolving requirements of last-mile and parcel delivery occupiers.”

Thomas Blangy, Senior Vice President at QuadReal, said: “This transaction further strengthens our already compelling portfolio in the Greater Paris region, one of France and Europe’s most important logistics markets. With this asset’s excellent connectivity and the clear scope for value-add improvements both in terms of its sustainability credentials and from an operational perspective, this transaction is firmly in line with our global investment strategy of targeting top quality assets in high growth urban logistics hubs across Europe and the UK.”

Valor was advised by Oudot (notary), Simmons & Simmons (Real Estate/Tax/Structuring), Les Ateliers4+/CEMR (technical/refurbishment), and CBRE (broker).

Also worth noting at the beginning of the year, Valor and QuadReal expanded their Berlin footprint with the acquisition of modern ultra-urban logistics asset from Aurelis Real Estate:

Valor Real Estate Partners (“Valor”), Europe’s fastest-growing last mile specialist, has acquired an urban logistics asset from Aurelis Real Estate in Berlin on behalf of its joint venture with QuadReal Property Group (“QuadReal”), a global real estate investment, development and operating company. The transaction further expands the joint venture’s footprint in one of Europe’s most dynamic ecommerce centres.

The asset is a 6,000 sqm ultra-urban logistics property in Berlin’s Charlottenburg-North submarket. The modern cross-dock facility offers extensive yard space is occupied by GO! Express & Logistics on a long-term lease. It is strategically located in proximity to two of Berlin’s major consumer centres – CBD West and the city centre – whilst also providing excellent outbound access via the A111 and A100.

The transaction follows a  €91 million commitment from the JV in December 2025 to acquire a 26,000 sqm urban logistics asset and adjacent development site in Berlin’s North-East Berlin submarket of Lichtenberg.

Vincent Lampe, Senior Vice President, Valor commented: “This is a rare opportunity to acquire a modern ultra-urban logistics asset in one of Berlin’s most competitive and under-supplied sub-markets. This acquisition delivers secure long-term income and further expands our footprint in one of our high conviction markets where the development of ecommerce, sustained population growth and  limited land for development will all support future demand for modern, well-located logistics space.”

Thomas Blangy, Senior Vice President at QuadReal, added: “This transaction builds on the JV’s recent momentum and, following our €91 million deal in December, further strengthens our portfolio in what is Germany’s dominant e-commerce centre. With the property’s proximity to two of Berlin’s major consumer centres and its excellent transport links, this transaction is firmly in line with our global investment strategy of targeting high growth urban logistics hubs in key markets across Europe and the UK.”

Valor was advised by Schilling, Zutt & Anschuetz (Legal), Rider Levett Bucknall (Technical). Colliers acted as sell-side broker. 

Not much I can add here except to say that QuadReal has teamed up with Valor, Europe’s fastest-growing last mile specialist,to acquire some great logistics properties in Paris and Berlin.

As Thomas Blangy, SVP at QuadReal states, these transactions are transaction is firmly in line with QuadReal's global investment strategy of targeting top quality assets in high growth urban logistics hubs across Europe and the UK.

In fact, QuadReal’s UK lending platform just completed two transactions totalling £86.4m:

QuadReal Property Group (QuadReal), a global real estate investment, development and operating company, has completed £86.4m of loans across two transactions via its newly expanded lending platform, taking its total direct lending in the UK to over £110m.

The first transaction was a £56.5m loan to Heitman to refinance an eight asset, 492,260 sq ft self-storage portfolio located across Birmingham, Sheffield, and Stafford, and managed by Space Station, the oldest self-storage operator in the UK. Six of the assets are operational and currently in a lease up phase, while one completed in July 2025 and the other is estimated to complete in March of this year. All the schemes are institutional grade, purpose-built, or high-end conversions, and were specifically selected based on the strong local catchment, accessibility, and visibility. Importantly, there are no new self-storage facilities under construction in any of the three cities.

The second transaction is a £29.9m loan to Fiera Real Estate and Wrenbridge to fund the development of a 219,749 sq ft logistics facility in Reading. Construction on the scheme, which will offer six suites across five buildings, commenced in December 2025 and is due to complete in December 2026. The facility is located to the south of the city, adjacent to the M4 motorway and within a 90-minute drive of 18.9 million people, as well as Heathrow and key port cities such as Bristol, Southampton, and Bournemouth.

The transactions take the total direct lending by the platform, which was launched in the UK in October 2025, to over £110m, after it provided a £25.5m facility to Fiera Real Estate and Harleyford Capital to fund the development of 180,000 sq ft of institutional Grade A logistics space at Watford Works, London in October.

QuadReal intends to commit over £2.5bn over the next three to five years across the UK and Europe, and has direct control over all decision making. The expanded platform follows the success of QuadReal’s North American debt business, which currently manages over £[12]bn in investments.

Derek Richter, Vice President, Real Estate Debt, said: “These transactions represent an important milestone in the growth of our lending platform, and demonstrate our confidence in the UK market. While we are committed to growing our platform, we remain disciplined, and will only progress transactions that are aligned with our global investment strategy and core convictions. With strong sponsors and attractive sector fundamentals, these high quality, well-located sites are firmly in line with that strategy and we look forward to working with Heitman, Fiera, and Wrenbridge as they execute their business plans.” 

And it's not just in Europe and the UK. 

In December, QuadReal announced a $495M strategic industrial partnership with LaSalle: 

QuadReal Property Group (“QuadReal”), a global real estate investment, development and operating company, has formed a strategic partnership with global investment manager LaSalle Investment Management (“LaSalle”) that will recapitalize a US$495M portfolio within QuadReal’s direct U.S. industrial platform.

The high-quality, state-of-the-art US industrial portfolio includes 11 assets, totaling 3.3M sq ft across major population centers near critical infrastructure in five states including Georgia, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Texas and Washington state. LaSalle will acquire a 49% interest in the portfolio, with QuadReal retaining majority ownership and continuing to manage the assets on behalf of the partnership.

“This partnership capitalizes on QuadReal’s direct operating capabilities, the very intentional portfolio we have built, and it reinforces our deep conviction in the Industrial sector,” said Jamie Weber, Head of Americas for QuadReal. “We look forward to deepening our relationship with LaSalle, a likeminded and long-term oriented investor.”

“Expanding our presence in key U.S. logistics markets is a core part of LaSalle’s investment strategy,” said Stuart Sziklas, Global Portfolio Manager, LaSalle Investment Management. “This transaction allows us to access a high-quality portfolio in markets with strong fundamentals, while creating long-term value.  We’re pleased to work alongside QuadReal and look forward to future opportunities together.”

The partnership terms also provide for an additional capital commitment from LaSalle for the acquisition of similarly high-quality, well-located industrial assets. This leaves a significant runway to expand its real estate investment portfolio in partnership with QuadReal.

QuadReal’s high-conviction investment strategy and international experience have established the firm as a top 20 real estate investor globally. Industrial is a high-conviction sector for QuadReal, with the firm’s US portfolio amounting to 23.5M sq ft of industrial space and global industrial portfolio of 156.3m sq ft. 

Denis Lopez and his team at QuadReal are firing on all cylinders, acquiring prime assets all over the world investing wisely across their capital structure.

I don't cover them enough but always looking at their transactions closely, they're doing great work.

Below, Spencer Levy talks with Panattoni’s Robert Dobrzycki and CBRE’s Jack Cox as they unpack Europe’s logistics sector. Gain insights into CRE trends, investment opportunities, and market outlook (June, 2025).

The Canadian Press reports CPP Investments forms real estate joint venture with California-based IRA Capital:

The Canada Pension Plan Investment Board has signed a deal to form a joint venture with California-based private equity firm IRA Capital to invest in medical outpatient buildings.

CPP Investments has allocated an initial US$143 million of equity capital to the joint venture.

It will hold a 47.5 per cent stake.

The partners have agreed to acquire an initial portfolio of 24 properties across 11 U.S. states to start.

Sophie van Oosterom, managing director and head of real estate at CPP Investments, says the venture will target modern outpatient care facilities in growing U.S. communities.

Founded in 2010, IRA Capital specializes in real estate investments with a focus on commercial real estate assets in the U.S. 

Last week, CPP investments issued a statement on this deal: 

CPP Investments allocates initial US$143 million of equity capital to the joint venture.

Toronto, ON (January 22, 2026) – Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPP Investments) today announced its participation in a joint venture with IRA Capital and a global institutional investor (the “Joint Venture”) to invest in medical outpatient buildings. CPP Investments will hold a 47.5% stake in the Joint Venture.

CPP Investments has allocated US$143 million of equity capital to the Joint Venture, which will have an expected acquisition capacity of approximately US$850 million.

“The program will target modern outpatient care facilities in growing U.S. communities, where demand is supported by demographic trends and the shift of services from hospitals to outpatient settings,” said Sophie van Oosterom, Managing Director, Head of Real Estate at CPP Investments. “We are pleased to establish this program with IRA Capital to invest in high-quality medical facilities across resilient markets, where effective management of the assets can enhance tenant experience and retention. This investment will help deliver long-term, risk-adjusted returns to the CPP Fund for the benefit of CPP contributors and beneficiaries.”

As part of this Joint Venture, the partners have agreed to acquire an initial 1.5 million square-foot medical facility portfolio across 24 properties. The assets include on-campus and advanced outpatient care facilities that support physicians and health-system partners.

About CPP Investments

Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPP Investments™) is a professional investment management organization that manages the Canada Pension Plan Fund in the best interest of the more than 22 million contributors and beneficiaries. In order to build diversified portfolios of assets, we make investments around the world in public equities, private equities, real estate, infrastructure, fixed income and alternative strategies including in partnership with funds. Headquartered in Toronto, with offices in Hong Kong, London, Mumbai, New York City, San Francisco, São Paulo and Sydney, CPP Investments is governed and managed independently of the Canada Pension Plan and at arm’s length from governments. At September 30, 2025, the Fund totaled C$777.5 billion. For more information, please visit www.cppinvestments.com or follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram or on X @CPPInvestments.

I didn't know much about IRA Capital before reading about this joint venture but they're obviously legit and specialize in this sector:

IRA Capital “IRA” is a leading private equity firm focused on alternative investments. Founded in 2010, IRA invests capital for its own account and on behalf of its co-investment partners, which include pension funds, institutions, and family offices. The firm primarily invests in commercial real estate assets throughout the United States, with an overweight concentration within the medical/healthcare real estate sector. IRA has established itself as a leader within its respective industries and markets, with deep relationships and a strong track record of profitability.  

As to why CPP Investments is teaming up with IRA to invest in medical outpatient buildings, I think this outlook analysis by PWC titled In Times of Uncertainty, Health Care Real Estate Offers Stability is instructive. I note the key points below

• Health care real estate is positioned to outperform in 2026, supported by demographic tailwinds, sustained outpatient demand, and its role as a core defensive asset.

• Tight market conditions and limited new construction will continue into next year, maintaining upward pressure on rents and reinforcing stable fundamentals.

• Investor activity is expected to strengthen in 2026 as capital markets ease and confidence builds around the sector’s long-term growth trajectory.

In times of market uncertainty, investor focus tends to shift to sectors that are anticyclical and can weather a storm. The inelastic demand for health care services and the real estate that supports it becomes even more attractive. Despite an overall softening of the labor market, health care continues to be one of the strongest sectors tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics: health care employment growth annually was 2.8 percent as of August 2025 (down from approximately 4 percent levels in 2024) while total nonfarm growth has slowed to 0.9 percent as of August (from levels of 1.3 percent in 2024). 

Demand for health care services continues to grow as the population ages, new discoveries and medical advances increase the amount of medical issues that can be addressed, and the focal shift from reactive medical care to preventative care and wellness continues. The real estate that supports the health care system is largely made up of hospitals and inpatient care and medical office buildings or medical outpatient buildings (collectively, MOBs). There are 7,273 hospitals in the United States making up 1.9 billion square feet and 42,260 MOBs representing 1.6 billion square feet. MOBs can include any number of tenant types and services including urgent care and emergency services, dialysis, ambulatory surgery, and imaging, as well as standard physician offices. 

The MOB sector has continued to see an increase in demand. With advancements in health care technology, many services are now able to be performed in an outpatient setting rather than inpatient, freeing up space in the hospital for more advanced and complicated cases. In recent years, many of these MOB locations have been moving off-hospital campus and out into the community to make them more accessible for patients. This helps providers and hospital systems build market share and more effectively serve a wide range of patients and cases.

Worth repeating this: "With advancements in health care technology, many services are now able to be performed in an outpatient setting rather than inpatient, freeing up space in the hospital for more advanced and complicated cases."

I'm sure CPP Investments and IRA Capital did their homework here and are targeting the right metropolitan areas to invest in and I suspect this will be one of many joint ventures in this area.

Another smart investment over the long run.

Alright, let me wrap it up and go watch "The PITT" with my wife (we are hooked).

Below, in this episode of Multiple Perspectives, host David Lofgren interviews Trisha Talbot, Managing Principal of Doc Properties, to explore the intricacies of medical office building investments, tenant dynamics, and how demographic shifts are reshaping healthcare real estate opportunities.

Also, in this episode of The Smart Property Investment Show, co-hosts Liam Garman and Emilie Lauer sit down with Matthew Strotton, the head of real estate at Real Asset Management (RAM) in Australia, to discuss how investors can diversify their portfolios through healthcare real estate.

Lastly, if you've never seen The PITT, it's awesome, intense, fast paced and just awesome!

Layan Odeh of Bloomberg reports Ontario Teachers’ reroutes some cash into public markets: 

Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan chief executive Jo Taylor said that the pension is “warehousing” capital in public markets after selling several assets within its private market portfolio last year.

The pension plan “sold some private equity assets” and “our plan is to reinvest that capital,” Taylor said in an interview with Bloomberg TV in Davos. “We are really just warehousing it until we know where we want to redeploy it.”

Ontario Teachers’ struck deals to sell some assets last year, including its stakes in airports in Copenhagen and Brussels, as well as three airports in the United Kingdom. The pension plan also agreed to sell its majority stake in India’s Sahyadri Hospitals Group.

The pension plan, which manages $269.6 billion of assets, reduced its exposure to the United States dollar and treasuries in the first quarter of last year, Taylor said, citing the “risk of a deflationary dollar.”

But as the pension plan shifted to “benign” but liquid markets, OTPP’s equity weighting stayed tilted toward the U.S.

“The U.S. is still 30 per cent, 35 per cent of our portfolio,” Taylor said. “It will be an important territory for further capital.”

In recent days, some European pension plans said that they’re cutting their exposure to the U.S. dollar amid concerns that the policies of U.S. President Donald Trump have created credit risks too big to ignore.

AkademikerPension, a Danish pension fund that manages around US$25 billion of savings, said it’s planning to exit U.S. Treasuries by the end of the month. Swedish pension fund Alecta said it already sold most of its U.S. Treasuries since early last year, citing the unpredictability of U.S. policy, budget deficits and national debt. 

Alright, I had a chance to listen to Jo Taylor's interviews at Davos last week, one with Bloomberg and one with CNBC.

Jo is always on point and very careful when he speaks, here are my quick bullet points but take the time to watch both interviews below.

• They cut exposure to the US dollar and Treasuries in Q1 2025 because they were a bit overexposed but he added: "The US is always roughly 30% to 35% of their portfolio -- it's 30% at the moment -- and it will always be an important territory fro us for further capital."
• They cut their dollar and treasury exposure in Q1 2025 because they saw deflationary risk to the dollar and kept it at that level going into 2026.
• They had important realizations last year in private markets particularly when they sold five airports in Europe and parked the money in "benign, liquid public markets" mostly in the US. 
• Nonetheless, private markets is a "hugely successful part of their business" and a "core activity" and Jo specified they are "not asset collectors", they acquire companies, make them more successful and if someone comes along to buy them and give them a good offer, then they will tend to "monetize them."
• So, in 2025, their biggest realizations were in airports and some private equity assets but their plan is to reinvest that capital. "Putting that money into liquid form in public liquid markets is we're really just warehousing it till we know where we want to redeploy it given our all-weather portfolio."
• On AI, Jo said they're not sure "the larger businesses will automatically win over time" so they're being careful and selective on where they invest. More importantly, they're looking at how AI impacts their existing portfolio of companies they own. "How do we enable them so they use AI to their advantage?" and "how we use AI to make better investment choices given the data we have?" 
• He said they own stakes in Anthropic and SpaceX and the latter has been a "fabulous investment" and said the company was "executing" on all levels and hitting its mark.
• Interestingly, toward the end of the Bloomberg interview, he said IPOs are not always the best solution because disclosed of a listed company is onerous and sometimes it makes sense to stay private for longer. 
• On the CNBC interview, Jo hones in on how Teachers' plans for the long term since their liabilities go out 50-60 years but also want to capitalize on short-term volatility where they see opportunities.  "When markets get really choppy, you want to be brave enough to look for good opportunities particularly on the investment side."
• He said last year they were  more "sellers of assets" and this year they're trying to correct that as "you don't want too much vintage year risk in what could turn out to be a wonderful year in investing." He said from his own experience, when markets are volatile, it's a great time to buy.\
• He said there has already been an equity correction is private equity and the challenge is in a world of tariffs how do you look at a business to try to understand its future growth.  So a business can look good when you buy it but will that be maintained and also if it's "a business that does a lot of M&A after you (acquire), then that looks more uncertain."
• He stressed you need to "know what you own" and they do direct investing as well as work with partners and do their own due diligence.
• They will be selling and buying assets again this year, and sold an oil and gas business earlier this year.
• He said they've done well investing in technology, financial services and industrials but as they look forward they're asking the question "will everyone win on AI?' and "which are the areas where you can see good growth and technology has the upper hand". He said one area where they are uncertain is in healthcare where "AI is speeding up some of the discovery and value creation."
• Jo said they have a good exposure to AI and "Teachers' Venture Growth made a very good return last year of over 30%." 
• They want to examine where AI disrupts their portfolio and where it can help them add value.

Alright, take the time to watch both interviews, Jo Taylor is always on point and very precise with is comments.]

Below, Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan President & CEO Jo Taylor says the pension has cut exposure to US Dollar and Treasuries. He speaks to BTV's Jonathan Ferro, Lisa Abramowicz and Annmarie Hordern on the sidelines of the 2026 World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

Also, Jo Taylor, CEO and president of the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan (OTPP), tells CNBC’s Dan Murphy in Davos that he’s closely watching geopolitical spillovers in financial markets. While volatility should be seen as a buying opportunity, Taylor emphasizes investors must “know what you own” during uncertain times.

Rian Howlett , Karen Friar and Laura Bratton of Yahoo Finance report the Dow, S&P 500 cap volatile week with back-to-back weekly losses:

US stocks were mixed on Friday, as Wall Street capped a turbulent week stoked by President Trump's heated pursuit of Greenland, while chipmaker Intel (INTC) sank after its earnings disappointment.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average (^DJI) retreated roughly 0.6%. The S&P 500 (^GSPC) rose slightly, and the Nasdaq Composite (^IXIC) gained 0.2%.

All three major indexes posted back-to-back weekly losses.

Intel posted worse-than-expected first quarter guidance late Thursday, raising concerns about its turnaround. The chip giant swung to a quarterly loss as it struggled to meet demand for its server chips used in AI data centers. Shares sank over 16% Friday.t

Stocks recorded weekly losses for the second week in a row as the relief that lifted stocks for two straight days of gains wore off. After a rough start to a holiday-shortened trading week, investors took heart from Trump cooling his Greenland rhetoric and backtracking on proposed tariffs on NATO allies. Trump argued that his moves worked out, as the market was "just about even" for the week.

That said, a shift out of US assets is gaining traction as US-EU tensions weigh on the dollar (DX-Y.NYB). And gold (GC=F) headed toward its best week since 2020, while silver (SI=F) topped $100 per ounce.

Elsewhere, there were signs of progress on the China-US front, as TikTok and ByteDance finally closed a deal with Oracle (ORCL) and others to let it operate in the US. Meanwhile, Beijing has reportedly told China's big techs they can start preparations to order Nvidia's (NVDA) H200 chips, whose imports are currently curbed.

Investors are bracing for a blockbuster earnings week next week, along with the Federal Reserve's meeting and interest rate decision. Trump said Thursday he has a pick for the next Fed chair in mind after wrapping up interviews, and he will name the replacement for Jerome Powell "soon."

Sean Conlon and Pia Singh of CNBC also report the S&P 500 ends Friday little changed, but posts second straight losing week amid wild trading: 

U.S. equities were mixed on Friday, as the Nasdaq Composite extended its gains amid easing geopolitical fears and the Dow Jones Industrial Average underperformed.

The tech-heavy Nasdaq advanced 0.28% and settled at 23,501.24, while the blue-chip Dow lost 285.30 points, or 0.58%, closing at 49,098.71. A nearly 4% slide in Goldman Sachs weighed on the 30-stock index. The broad market S&P 500 eked out a marginal gain of 0.03% to end at 6,915.61.

Nvidia and Advanced Micro Devices were among those supporting the Nasdaq and the S&P 500, climbing 1.5% and more than 2%, respectively. The moves come as people familiar with the matter told CNBC that Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang is planning to visit China in the coming days. Other tech names like Microsoft saw a boost as well.

Intel shares, in contrast, tumbled around 17% after the chipmaker reported a disappointing first-quarter outlook.

The three major averages rallied for a second session on Thursday as investors were appeased by news of easing trade tensions and geopolitical risk.

The indexes began their rebound on Wednesday after President Donald Trump called off his threatened tariffs on the imports of eight European nations — which were set to start Feb.1 — and announced that he and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte reached a “framework of a future deal with respect to Greenland.” The tariff threat briefly spurred a flight from U.S. assets as investors turned to the “sell America” trade at the start of the holiday-shortened trading week.

Trump had also told CNBC Wednesday that “we have a concept of a deal” with the Arctic island.

“Investors this week welcomed a term that kind of started around Liberation Day or shortly thereafter — the ‘TACO’ trade,’” said Scott Ellis, managing director, corporate credit at Penn Mutual Asset Management. “Maybe investors will look to that in the future as Trump kind of walks back and this administration walks back some of the rhetoric in order to get deals done.”

To be sure, Greenland Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen said on Thursday he doesn’t know what’s in the “framework” deal that Trump announced, stressing that any such deal must respect Greenland’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

While the combined gains on Wednesday and Thursday had erased the Dow’s losses from earlier in the week, Friday’s move put it back in the red. The 30-stock Dow fell 0.5% on the week. The S&P 500 lost about 0.4%, while the Nasdaq slipped less than 0.1% in the period — both posted back-to-back losing weeks.

It was another volatile week on Wall Street dominated by President Trump's remarks prior, during and following his visit to the World Economic Forum at Davos.

The only good news is NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte who seems to have Trump's attention managed to strike some sort of deal with respect to Greenland but all sides have yet to formally approve and details remain vague. 

Looking at S&P sectors, Energy and Materials benefited from the geopolitical tensions, gaining 3.3% and 2.1% respectively this week:

Worth noting the iShares Silver Trust (SLV) and SPDR Gold Shares (GLD) had another exceptional week, hitting fresh new record levels on geopolitical turmoil:

 

If you ever needed proof that parabolic charts can get more overbought, there it is, short sellers are getting steamrolled trying to short silver and gold.

Still, there will be a pullback back to the 10-week exponential moving average, that I guarantee you.

Here are the best performing large, mid and small cap US stocks this week (full list for each is here, you need to change exchange):

Once again, micro cap stocks took off the most:

Next week is a big earnings week as the tech powerhouses report, keep an eye on post-earnings reaction because that tells you a lot.

And be careful with stocks that run up too much, too fast headed into earnings, Intel being the perfect example today as it got clobbered 17% following weak earnings:

It will likely pull back some more but the weekly chart remains bullish so don't be surprised if it heads back up at some point and resumes an uptrend.

Alright, let me wrap it up there, been a long week.

Below, Tom Lee, Fundstrat, joins 'Closing Bell' to discuss the week for stock markets, the earnings reports next week and much more.

Next, Jeff deGraaf, Renaissance Macro, joins 'Closing Bell' to discuss the recent breakout in regional banks, how small caps can perform going forward and much more.

Third, Dan Niles, Niles Investment Management, joins 'Fast Money' to talk whats ahead for big tech earnings next week including Apple and Microsoft.

Fourth, 'Fast Money' traders talk precious metal prices continuing to climb.

Lastly, CBC's Power & Politics' Political Pulse Panel breaks down duelling speeches at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, this week.