News & Perspectives

Although 2025 was a blockbuster year for the Canadian stock market, investors are increasingly concerned about their investments, according to a new Scotiabank poll. Investor sentiment has dropped from last year and risks such as cost of living and trade tensions weigh on their minds, according to the annual Scotia Global Asset Management Investor Sentiment survey. Meanwhile, some investors are using AI for investment advice, but few say they rely on it alone.

Check out the infographic below for more insights from the latest survey:

Feelings toward investments: 44% feel negative about their investments, up from 32% a year ago.
Investment outlook: 37% say it's a good time to invest (significant decrease from last year). 47% are neutral. 10% say it's a bad time to invest (significant increase from last year). The related Investor Sentiment Index has dropped and now resembles Fall 2020 levels.
Top 6 risks to portfolio over next 1-2 years: Cost of living 49%. Economic recession 49% (significant increase from last year). Trade tariffs 46%. Stock market volatility 37%. Global geopolitical risk 35%. Government policy 31% (significant increase from last year).
Artificial intelligence: 38% of investors under 40 years old have used AI  tools to help guide investment decisions, while total  investor use is under 20%. Just 7% of all investors have made investment  decisions solely using AI. 65% of investors under 40 still primarily use an advisor to manage their investments.
Planning for retirement: 64% say current economic conditions have impacted their retirement plans (significant increase from last year). 73% are very or somewhat confident that their planned retirement amount will meet what they actually need.
Seeking advice: Of those who met with their advisor in the past six months: 86% say their advisor makes them feel confident in their financial situation. Of those who did not meet, only 68% say the same.

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