TORONTO, Oct. 7, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Over 1,000 attendees cast predictions about the global market and Toronto's political leadership via audience response devices at CFA Society Toronto's 57th Annual Forecast Dinner.
Members of the investment community and their guests made predictions alongside the night's keynote speakers: Charles Brandes, CFA, Brandes Investment Partners, Russ Koesterich, CFA, BlackRock and Christian Stracke, PIMCO.
Toronto Politics:
When provided a set candidate list for the Toronto mayoral election over 52% would cast their ballot for John Tory. While 26% said they'd rather vote for hockey mascot Carlton the Bear over all other registered candidates. Doug Ford received nearly 15% of the votes while Olivia Chow came in a distant last at less than 7% of the votes.
The Canadian Unemployment Rate in 2015:
49% of those surveyed believed that the unemployment rate in Canada was going to drop by 0-2%, while only 3% thought it will rise by more than 2% in 2015.
Markets with the Best Performances in 2015:
58% of audience members predicted emerging and European markets will have the best performance next year, while 28% felt that the US and Canada would come out on top. Keynote forecaster Charles Brandes, CFA predicted that the best future value opportunity is in South America, Western Europe and the Far East (Korea and Japan).
Tim Horton's Performance Next Year:
When asked about Tim Horton's performance post-merger nearly 48% felt the stock would rise by at least 5-10%. Over 38% felt the stock price would drop with 14% predicting stable pricing in 2015. Keynote Christian Stracke speculated that the Tim Horton's/Burger King merger was a relocation of the corporation's headquarters to take advantage of a lower-tax rate and that this is not the last tax inversion we will see coming to Canada.
For an extensive breakdown of polling results please email media@cfatoronto.ca
CFA Society Toronto thanks all of our sponsors for helping make this event a success.
The views expressed in the above-mentioned do not reflect the views of CFA Society Toronto.
About CFA Society Toronto
CFA Society Toronto supports the professional and business development of more than 8,000 CFA charterholders in Toronto, making it the second largest CFA Society in the world. It provides members with a local perspective on a global designation, including: educational programs, sponsored events, job postings, quarterly newsletters, a comprehensive affinity program and networking opportunities. A not-for-profit organization, CFA Society Toronto is affiliated with CFA Institute, the global body that administers the Chartered Financial Analyst curriculum and sets voluntary, ethics-based performance-reporting standards for the investment industry. CFA Society Toronto's members are leaders in ethics in the financial community. For more information, please refer to www.cfatoronto.ca.
Media contact:
Sara Pacella, Manager, Marketing & Public Relations
CFA Society Toronto
Tel: 416.366.5755 X 235
media@cfatoronto.ca