Canada Data Response Retail Sales (Jun. 12) June's slight dip in retail sales volumes, paired with a decline in wholesale trade and a modest increase in manufacturing sales, indicates that monthly GDP grew by 0.1% to 0.2% m/m in June. This... 22nd August 2012 · 1 min read
Canada Economics Update Surging agricultural prices small net positive for economy While the drought threatening US farmers' crops has led to a surge in agricultural crop prices, many farmers in Western Canada are thankfully anticipating a return to normal production and in some... 22nd August 2012 · 1 min read
Canada Economics Weekly Rising interest rate expectations misplaced Market expectations of higher interest rates over the next 12 months look misplaced. The global economic outlook has deteriorated, with much of Europe in recession and the US economy facing a fiscal... 17th August 2012 · 1 min read
Canada Data Response Consumer Price Index (Jul.) The decline in the official 'core' inflation figure, to 1.7% in July from 2.0% in June, was partly due to continued volatility in vehicle prices. With inflation remaining subdued and the downside... 17th August 2012 · 1 min read
Canada Data Response Survey of Manufacturing (Jun.) The surprising 0.4% m/m decline in manufacturing sales in June was largely explained by ongoing volatility at petroleum refineries. For this same reason manufacturing sales volumes increased more... 16th August 2012 · 1 min read
Canada Economics Update Are household's turning cautious? Consumption growth has slowed in the first half of this year, a sign perhaps that households are becoming circumspect, in the face of a global economic downturn and the rising likelihood of a hard... 16th August 2012 · 1 min read
Canada Economics Update Rebound in Canadian dollar won't last We doubt that the recent rally in the Canadian dollar to above parity against its US counterpart will last. Admittedly, the safe haven status of the currency may continue to support it in the near... 13th August 2012 · 1 min read
Canada Data Response Labour Force Survey (Jul. 12) July's surprisingly large 30,400 decline in employment, following two months of paltry gains, is a bad start to the second half of this year. Admittedly, the underlying details were better than the... 10th August 2012 · 1 min read
Canada Economics Update Housing investment cycle may have peaked The surge in housing starts, driven entirely by hi-rise condominium construction despite already high inventory, is now glaring evidence of overbuilding. Anecdotal evidence, meanwhile, points to... 10th August 2012 · 1 min read
Canada Data Response International Merchandise Trade (Jun.) June's 0.3% m/m gain in export volumes together with upward revisions to previous months indicate that second-quarter exports increased, a somewhat stronger outcome than the slight decline we had... 9th August 2012 · 1 min read
Canada Chart Pack Canada's sub-par economic performance The below par 2% rate of Canadian GDP growth over the first half of this year must be a concern for policy makers, particularly when the chances are that growth will slow even further in the second... 9th August 2012 · 1 min read
Canada Economics Weekly Economic growth continues to ease The anaemic rate of Canadian economic growth is becoming a major concern, particularly when the chances are that growth will only slow further in the second half of this year. Before the end of this... 3rd August 2012 · 1 min read
Canada Economics Update Small business optimism continues to deteriorate The further decline in the CFIB's small business barometer in July is an early indication that the overall pace of economic recovery may have slowed further. While GDP growth in the second quarter is... 2nd August 2012 · 1 min read
Canada Data Response GDP by Industry (May) The modest 0.1% m/m increase in Canada's monthly GDP in May supports our existing estimate that the economy expanded at a disappointing 1.7% annualised pace in the second quarter. That would mark the... 31st July 2012 · 1 min read
Canada Economics Focus Business investment won't be the economy's saviour With exports hampered by the global economic slowdown and the nascent domestic housing downturn likely to hit housing investment and consumption too, a slowdown in Canada's overall economic growth... 31st July 2012 · 1 min read
Canada Economics Weekly Are consumers retreating? Our measure of Canada's 'effective' crude oil price, a blend of three key benchmarks, has rebounded by a sharp 25% over the past few weeks, to US$88 p/b from US$70 p/b. But this rally in crude oil... 27th July 2012 · 1 min read
