Brianne Gardner Identifies Large-Cap Leaders for August 2025
IBM, Salesforce, and Brookfield Infrastructure headline Brianne Gardner’s large-cap strategy as markets weigh rate cuts and resilient earnings.

Markets on both sides of the border are navigating a delicate balance between slowing inflation, cautious central banks, and resilient corporate earnings. In the United States, the tone shifted after Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell hinted at Jackson Hole that rate cuts may finally be on the horizon. Inflation has cooled to 2.7 per cent on the headline number, though core inflation remains sticky at 3.1 per cent. That persistence keeps policymakers watchful, even as investors grow optimistic that a soft landing is possible.
Canada mirrors the U.S. narrative, albeit at a softer pitch. Headline inflation has dropped to 1.7 per cent, thanks largely to lower energy costs, but core inflation near three per cent has kept the Bank of Canada cautious. With the policy rate at 2.75 per cent, traders are split over whether a September cut is likely. Meanwhile, the Toronto Stock Exchange has held its own, lifted by financials and materials, even as energy plays lagged.
Against this backdrop, Brianne Gardner, Senior Wealth Manager at Velocity Investment Partners, Raymond James, advises staying anchored in quality. Her focus for the second half of the year is on large-cap names with strong cash flows and the ability to sustain pricing power.
