General Leslie Blais 4 Feb
Despite having negotiated the current trade agreement among the U.S., Mexico, and Canada during his first administration, Donald Trump broke the terms of that treaty on Saturday. He triggered a global stock market selloff after fulfilling his threat to impose tariffs on Canada, Mexico, and China. These levies are set to take effect Tuesday unless […]
Read MoreBank of Canada Leslie Blais 11 Dec
The BoC slashed the overnight rate by 50 bps this morning, bringing the policy rate down to 3.25%. The market had priced in nearly 90% odds of a 50 bp move, where consensus coalesced. The combined slower-than-expected GDP growth and a sharp rise in the Canadian unemployment rate to 6.8% triggered the Bank’s second consecutive jumbo rate […]
Read MoreLatest News Leslie Blais 17 Nov
Canadian home sales surged to their highest level in more than two years as the Bank of Canada cut interest rates, bringing buyers back into the market. Home sales rose 7.7% month-over-month (m/m) in October, reaching their highest level since April 2022. Rising home sales were broadly based, with the Greater Toronto Area and British […]
Read MoreEmployment Leslie Blais 10 Nov
Statistics Canada released October employment data today. The data showed a marked slowdown in job growth, underscoring ongoing labour-market softness that triggered a jumbo rate cut last month. Statistics Canada said the country added 14,500 positions in October, which missed the median expectation of a 27,200 rise in a Bloomberg survey of economists. It’s the smallest employment gain […]
Read MoreGeneral Leslie Blais 16 Sep
National home sales increased in June following the Bank of Canada’s first interest rate cut since 2020, and activity posted another slight gain in August on the heels of the second rate cut in late July. Still, the bigger picture appears to be a market mostly stuck in a holding pattern. Home sales recorded over […]
Read MoreGeneral Leslie Blais 9 Sep
Statistics Canada released August employment data today, showing continued growth in excess supply in labour markets nationwide. Employment changed little last month, up 22,100. The employment rate—the proportion of the population aged 15 and older who are employed—decreased a tick to 60.8%, marking the fourth consecutive monthly decline and the 10th decline in the past […]
Read MoreGeneral Leslie Blais 4 Sep
Today, the Bank of Canada cut the overnight policy rate by another 25 basis points to 4.25%. This is the third consecutive decrease since June. The Bank’s decision reflects two main developments. First, headline and core inflation have continued to ease as expected. Second, as inflation gets closer to the target, the central bank wants […]
Read MoreGeneral Leslie Blais 1 Sep
Q2 Canadian Growth, Boosted By Record Population Gains, Slows In June And July Canada’s economy grew a bit more than expected in the second quarter, but falling per-capita gross domestic product and softening household consumption assure the Bank of Canada that it will cut rates for a third consecutive meeting next week. Canadian GDP rose 2.1% […]
Read MoreLatest News Leslie Blais 25 Jun
Inflation unexpectedly rose in May, disappointing the Bank of Canada as it deliberates the possibility of another rate cut next month. The Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose 2.9% in May from a year ago, up from a 2.7% reading in April. This increase primarily reflects higher prices for services and, to a lesser extent, food. […]
Read MoreLatest News Leslie Blais 17 Jun
The Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) announced today that national home sales fell 0.6% in May, remaining slightly below the average of the past ten years. Actual (not seasonally adjusted) monthly activity was 5.9% below May 2023. With the Bank of Canada rate cut on June 5, housing activity will likely perk up in the coming […]
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