Assessing Canada’s Economic Challenges Amidst the Threat of Recession
The Canadian economy’s recent performance paints a sobering picture, with stagnant GDP figures in August and a looming threat of recession in the third quarter. These challenges have arisen in the wake of the Bank of Canada’s decision to maintain interest rates, a reflection of the economic slowdown. While high inflation and forest fires have played a role in this predicament, the unexpected nature of this economic struggle has caught many by surprise. It remains to be seen how the central bank will navigate these turbulent waters, with market sentiments signaling increased uncertainty about Canada’s economic future.
Morning Bid: Oil and jobs
World markets calmed a bit on Wednesday after a tumultuous couple of weeks – but a focus on energy prices and U.S. employment promised more tension ahead.
Morning Bid: The 75bp club
Most of world’s major central banks are now going up a gear with historically sweeping interest rate rises to cool their economies and drag down inflation – and there are some signs it’s already working.
Bank of Canada expected to push interest rates into restrictive territory
The Bank of Canada is widely expected to deliver yet another oversized interest rate hike next week, lifting its policy rate into restrictive territory for the first time in two decades, but bets are split on whether or not a pause will follow.
Morning Bid: A turning point for markets
When the yield on Germany’s benchmark Bund, considered one of thea safest assets in the world, posts its biggest one-day fall since 2011 (as it did on Tuesday), something has changed.
Analysis: Investors eye uncharted waters as quantitative tightening looms in Canada
As the Bank of Canada prepares to shrink its bloated balance sheet, investors say the move could enable expected interest rate hikes to have more far-reaching impact on economic activity.
Euro on defensive as Ukraine tension, hawkish Fed buoy dollar, yen
The euro hovered near 1-month lows versus the dollar and yen on Wednesday, hurt by concerns about the potential for military conflict in Ukraine and ahead of the Federal Reserve wrapping a meeting that could herald accelerated monetary tightening.
Canada’s Conservatives hammer Trudeau on slowing economy ahead of vote
Canada’s Conservatives hammered Liberal Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Tuesday after data showed that the country’s economy unexpectedly shrank in the second quarter and again in July, putting the economy at the center of debate three weeks ahead of a national election.
Soaring costs challenge Canadian retailers counting on post-COVID surge
Canadian retailers are readying for a post-pandemic rebound as consumers emerge from lockdowns and open their wallets, but higher costs are eroding their profit margins and fanning inflationary pressures.
Bank of Canada to break sequence of lower terminal rates as governments splurge
With fiscal spending booming and households flush with cash, investors are betting that the Bank of Canada’s next tightening cycle, expected to begin in 2022, will result in interest rates climbing above the previous peak for the first time in decades.
