Interest rates could stay higher for longer. What that means for your portfolio

Higher interest rates have weighed on many Canadians' portfolios so far this year. Here's how fresh expectations for the Bank of Canada's rate path might affect markets.

A shifting attitude in financial markets that interest rates might stay higher for longer has weighed on returns this year, with investors finding few safe havens between stocks and bonds.

Analysts who spoke to Global News say the uncertainty about rate hike paths for central banks around the world means some portfolios could still stand to lose some value, but there are still some opportunities out there for long-term investors.

A TD Bank report released this week pointed to the rapid rise in interest rates from the Bank of Canada and its central bank counterparts globally as dragging down returns for investors in 2023.

The report said that “swift adjustment” in interest rates has “stunted equity markets,” which sit more than 10 per cent below 2022 highs.

“Interest rates have been affecting everything dramatically, and I don’t use that word lightly,” says Michael Currie, senior investment advisor with TD Wealth.

“For 18 months now, they have such a huge effect on everything we look at, whether it’s real estate, stocks, bonds, you name it — right across the board.”

Higher interest rates affect companies’ access to credit and weigh on consumer spending, so they’re generally seen as a negative for growth outlooks, Currie says.

The Bank of Canada has increased its benchmark rate by 4.75 percentage points since March 2022, with the bulk of the tightening coming last year. In announcing its second consecutive rate hold on Oct. 25, the central bank officials kept the door open to future hikes if needed to get inflation fully back to the two per cent target.