Canada Data Response Manufacturing Sales (Jan.) The 1.4% monthly rise in manufacturing sales volumes at the start of the year will allay fears that Canadian GDP growth slowed even further in the first quarter. Growth is still set to be below... 15th March 2019 · 1 min read
Canada Economics Update Labour market slack growing beneath the surface Recent declines in hours worked suggest that, despite decent gains in employment, slack is building in the labour market. That, in turn, is likely to limit any acceleration in wage growth. 13th March 2019 · 1 min read
Canada Data Response Teranet House Prices (Feb.) The 0.4% monthly drop in the Teranet House Price Index equates to a 0.1% fall in seasonally-adjusted terms. That pushed the annual pace of house price inflation below 2% and we expect it to remain... 13th March 2019 · 1 min read
Canada Economics Weekly Bank rows back from further rate hikes The Bank of Canada admitted this week that it had been caught out by the broad-based nature of the recent economic slowdown. But its forecasts continue to envisage a strong rebound in growth, which we... 8th March 2019 · 1 min read
Canada Data Response Labour Force Survey (Feb.) The further rise in employment in February will help to soothe fears that Canada’s economy slowed even further at the start of the year. While pay growth was also stronger than expected, the big drop... 8th March 2019 · 1 min read
Canada Economics Update Bank of Canada drops pledge to hike further The Bank of Canada has finally pulled its head out of the sand and acknowledged that the deteriorating economy no longer justifies higher interest rates in the near term. Although the Bank still... 6th March 2019 · 1 min read
Canada Data Response International Merchandise Trade (Dec.) Although December’s trade data were worse than expected, we doubt this will result in a downward revision to the fourth-quarter GDP data. But with global business surveys deteriorating in recent... 6th March 2019 · 1 min read
Canada Economics Update Oil rebound won’t prevent drop in energy investment The negative outlook for oil prices, together with Canadian oil firms’ high debt levels, regulatory uncertainty and capacity constraints, suggest that energy investment will fall this year. 5th March 2019 · 1 min read
Canada Economics Update No recession, but growth to remain weak Canada is not at immediate risk of recession, but the chance of GDP growth rising back above potential in the second half of the year looks slim. We now expect growth to average just 1.0% in 2019. 4th March 2019 · 1 min read
Canada Economics Weekly Optimistic investment plans unlikely to be met The Annual Capital and Repair Expenditures survey revealed that firms expect to raise their investment by 2.8% this year. However, with the economic backdrop deteriorating since the survey was carried... 1st March 2019 · 1 min read
Canada Data Response GDP (Q4 2018) On the basis of this latest set of woeful GDP figures, the Bank of Canada must surely be considering following the Fed and abandoning any talk of further interest rate hikes at next week’s policy... 1st March 2019 · 1 min read
Canada Chart Pack Export prospects further deteriorate The decline in the global manufacturing PMI to a two-year low in January suggests that prospects for Canadian exporters have deteriorated further. On past form, the global PMI is broadly consistent... 28th February 2019 · 1 min read
DM Valuations Monitor End of QT unlikely to affect bond valuations much In his semi-annual testimony to Congress, Jerome Powell reiterated that the Fed is deciding how and when to end its balance sheet rundown. Although some officials have indicated that it could finish... 28th February 2019 · 1 min read
Bank of Canada Watch Bank to remain on the side-line Given the weakness of the latest economic data, the Bank of Canada is set to remain on the side-line next week. It will probably reiterate that further interest rate hikes will eventually be needed... 27th February 2019 · 1 min read
Canada Data Response Consumer Prices (Jan.) The Bank of Canada is unlikely to put a lot of weight on the sharp drop in headline inflation in January, given that it was caused by the notoriously volatile energy and airfare components. But if... 27th February 2019 · 1 min read
Canada Economics Weekly Uncertain Poloz ponders powers Bank of Canada Governor Stephen Poloz used a speech this week to argue that relying on monetary policy alone to counteract economic downturns risks further stoking financial imbalances. While Poloz... 22nd February 2019 · 1 min read
