Our Chief Market Strategist James Thorne gives our team a leading-edge, curating insights from data sources and providing analysis to help our investment advisors select the best possible assets and plans for clients. Jim is a top-industry expert, translating complex economic and market issues and grounding his counsel in historical context to help advisors and investors navigate short-term issues with their potential impact on financial goals. His views consider global economic, political, and financial market events and their short and long-term portfolio implications.
Chief Market Strategist
Prior to joining Wellington-Altus Private Wealth, James Thorne was most recently chief capital market strategist and senior portfolio manager at a leading independent investment management firm.
He also held various senior investment management positions in the U.S., including chief economist of a major U.S. financial institution, chief investment officer of equities, managing director and chief capital market strategist. During his tenure he developed small, mid- and large-capitalization investment strategies, which employed a combination of quantitative and qualitative analysis and achieved top-quartile performance.
Dr. Thorne received a Ph.D. in economics in the fields of finance and industrial organization from York University and worked as a professor of economics and finance at the Schulich School of Business and at Bishop’s University. He also regularly appears on BNN and in other media outlets.
The signing of the Peace of Westphalia in 1648 didn’t just end the Thirty Years’ War; it reshaped the global order. It established state sovereignty and balance-of-power principles that have governed international relations for centuries.
Bismarck’s 19th-century declaration about the changing realities of geopolitics resonates today as the global economic order undergoes seismic shifts. For decades, Canada and the U.S. have shared a mutually beneficial trade relationship, underpinned by the post-Second World War framework of free trade agreements and multilateral cooperation. However, Donald Trump’s presidency revealed cracks in this foundation.
In today’s politically charged atmosphere, it can feel as though standing for anything less than radical extremes invites scorn. As we entered 2025, a surprising emergence of centrist economic policies is reshaping our political discourse, defying party lines and pushing back against the extremes that have dominated the conversation.
