Global Thinking: Markets, Multipolarity, and the Next Cycle

Markets, Multipolarity, and the Next Cycle

Jun 2, 2026

For more than a decade, investors have been rewarded for a simple strategy: buy U.S. stocks, own big technology companies, and trust that American exceptionalism would continue to drive markets higher.

But what if that playbook is beginning to change?

In this episode of the Global Thinking Podcast, Rob Duncan sits down with Sébastien Mc Mahon, Chief Economist at iA Financial Group, to discuss the forces reshaping the global investment landscape. From geopolitical tensions and energy markets to AI-driven productivity gains and the resurgence of international equities, they explore why the next phase of the market cycle may look very different from the last.

Rob and Seb discuss:

Why markets continue to climb despite geopolitical uncertainty
Whether U.S. exceptionalism is beginning to fade
The growing case for international diversification
Canada's productivity challenge and economic outlook
AI, capital spending, and the future of global growth
The biggest mistakes investors are making today

As investors grapple with shifting narratives, one thing is becoming increasingly clear: the world is becoming more multipolar, and portfolios may need to evolve alongside it.

Episode Timestamps

00:00 Introduction and market backdrop

02:15 What's the biggest thing markets are misunderstanding?

05:10 Iran, geopolitics, and the real impact of oil shocks

08:45 Why this cycle looks different from the 1970s

11:20 Is U.S. exceptionalism starting to fade?

15:00 International markets and the global rotation trade

18:30 AI, productivity, and the next capex cycle

22:15 Canada's productivity challenge

26:30 Portfolio implications for investors

29:00 Biggest mistakes investors are making today

31:00 Closing thoughts and outlook