Canada Data Response Labour Force Survey (Feb.) The weaker than expected 2,300 decline in employment in February and further uptick in the unemployment rate to a three-year high of 7.3% from 7.2%, provides more evidence that the economy is... 11th March 2016 · 1 min read
Canada Economics Update Bank of Canada interest rate cut still on the table The Bank of Canada’s decision to hold its key policy rate at 0.50% today doesn’t mean that further rate cuts are off the table, as it depends on the details of the forthcoming Federal stimulus budget... 9th March 2016 · 1 min read
Canada Economics Weekly Deficit paranoia is mind-bogglingly stupid The hysterical response to the news that the Federal budget deficit might increase to as much as $30bn next year left us shaking our heads in dismay. Canadian economists are still stuck in the Paul... 4th March 2016 · 1 min read
Canada Data Response International Merchandise Trade (Jan.) Despite the modest rise in the monthly trade deficit to $0.7bn in January, from $0.6bn, the big 3.6% m/m surge in export volumes is good news. The balance of risks to our forecast that first-quarter... 4th March 2016 · 1 min read
Bank of Canada Watch Bank won’t cut rates again until after Budget The Bank of Canada is unlikely to cut interest rates at the upcoming policy meeting on 9th March. But we still anticipate that the ongoing economic slump, triggered by the collapse in commodity prices... 2nd March 2016 · 1 min read
Canada Data Response GDP (Q4 2015) It underlines how bad things have become in Canada that the 0.8% annualised increase in fourth-quarter GDP, above the consensus forecast for no change, will be celebrated as some sort of economic... 1st March 2016 · 1 min read
Canada Economics Weekly Stubbornly high inflation adding to the pain The rebound in headline inflation in January back to the mid-point of the Bank of Canada’s 1% to 3% target range illustrates that the markedly weaker Canadian dollar isn’t all good news. Strong goods... 26th February 2016 · 1 min read
Canada Economics Weekly Is Mexico eating Canada’s lunch? Our analysis suggests that the weakness of Canadian manufacturing output is partly due to the knock-on drag from the collapse in the mining sector. In addition, however, Canadian manufacturers are... 19th February 2016 · 1 min read
Canada Data Response Consumer Prices (Jan.) & Retail Sales (Dec.) Consumer prices increased by 0.2% m/m seasonally adjusted in January, as a sharp 0.6% m/m jump in food prices offset the gasoline-related 0.8% m/m decline in transportation prices. Added to some... 19th February 2016 · 1 min read
Canada Data Response Manufacturing Sales (Dec.) The 1.3% m/m increase in manufacturing sales volumes in December is encouraging, but the broader picture is still that, despite a 30% depreciation in the Canadian dollar over the past four years... 16th February 2016 · 1 min read
Canada Economics Weekly Market turmoil adds to downside risks to economic growth With the economy reeling from the collapse in oil prices, the rapid deterioration in global financial conditions couldn’t have come at a worse time. The balance of risks to our forecast that GDP... 12th February 2016 · 1 min read
Canada Data Response Teranet-National Bank House Prices (Jan.) House price inflation slowed to 5.9% in January, from 6.2%, and the existing home-sales-to-listings ratio indicates that the pace of inflation will ease further in the coming months. 12th February 2016 · 1 min read
Canada Chart Pack Housing imbalances continue to worsen Nothing illustrates the regional divergence in Canada’s economy like housing. While house prices continue to surge in the already most over-valued markets in Vancouver and Toronto, Calgary and other... 10th February 2016 · 1 min read
Canada Economics Weekly Negative interest rates unlikely in Canada While negative interest rate policies are being adopted by some major central banks, economic growth and inflation in Canada will be buffered by fiscal policy stimulus and the past depreciation of the... 5th February 2016 · 1 min read
Canada Data Response Labour Force Survey (Jan.) The weaker than expected 5,700 decline in employment in January, was a poor start to the year and provides more evidence that the economy is struggling to cope with the collapse in oil prices. The... 5th February 2016 · 1 min read
Canada Economic Outlook Policymakers will struggle to boost economy The sharp drop in oil prices and the Canadian dollar have led to a rapid deterioration in Canada’s economic outlook, overwhelming the ability of policymakers to stabilise the economy with conventional... 3rd February 2016 · 1 min read
