Canada Data Response Retail Sales (Dec.) A rise in auto sales helped drive a better-than-expected outturn for retail sales in December. Sales volumes were unchanged over the fourth quarter, though, suggesting that consumer spending growth... 22nd February 2019 · 1 min read
Canada Economics Update High inventories a downside risk to growth Against the backdrop of slowing global demand growth, the high level of manufacturing inventories in Canada is an underappreciated downside risk to GDP growth. 21st February 2019 · 1 min read
Canada Economics Focus Core inflation set to drop back Temporary factors that boosted inflation in 2018 are fading and recent declines in unit labour costs growth suggest that core inflation will fall this year. That supports our view that the Bank of... 19th February 2019 · 1 min read
Canada Economics Weekly Oil by rail exports plummet, USMCA hurdles mount Alberta’s oil production cuts have successfully reduced the Canadian oil price discount compared with US benchmarks, but their success has produced some unintended negative consequences. 15th February 2019 · 1 min read
Canada Data Response Manufacturing Sales (Dec.) The unexpected slump in manufacturing sales in December was principally due to continued problems in petroleum refining, but the weakness extended well beyond that sector and suggests that Canada did... 14th February 2019 · 1 min read
Canada Data Response Teranet House Prices (Jan.) The 0.1% monthly decline in the Teranet House Price Index in January equates to a decent 0.4% m/m increase in seasonally-adjusted terms. But the annual pace of house price inflation dropped back to... 13th February 2019 · 1 min read
Canada Economics Update Changes to policy unlikely to rescue housing market There seems little chance of Canada’s banking regulator greatly easing the severity of the mortgage stress tests introduced last year, but the government is considering helping first-time buyers in... 11th February 2019 · 1 min read
Canada Economics Weekly Weak housing market weighs on credit growth Data this week confirmed that annual mortgage credit growth slowed to a 35-year low of just 3.1% in December, with the slowdown reflecting subdued home sales and lower house price inflation. More... 8th February 2019 · 1 min read
Canada Data Response Labour Force Survey (Jan.) January’s outsized 67,000 jump in employment will temper fears that the recent economic weakness is worsening. But with annual earnings growth unchanged at 2%, there are still no signs of rising... 8th February 2019 · 1 min read
Canada Economics Update Loonie’s strong run unlikely to be sustained A softening economy, slow wage growth and a drop back in oil prices are all reasons to doubt that the loonie’s recent strong run will be sustained. We see the currency declining to $0.72 this year. 6th February 2019 · 1 min read
Canada Economics Update Bank of Canada too optimistic on wage growth With wages boosted last year by minimum wage hikes and the labour market now facing several headwinds, we doubt that a meaningful pick-up in wage growth is on the cards for 2019. 5th February 2019 · 1 min read
Canada Economics Weekly Wilkins keeps quiet on rate hikes, GDP contracts Senior Deputy Governor Carolyn Wilkins this week outlined the Bank of Canada’s thinking on wage growth. But by failing to repeat the Bank’s normal mantra about raising interest rates further, what... 1st February 2019 · 1 min read
Canada Data Response GDP by Industry (Nov.) November’s fall in GDP appears to have been followed by further weakness in December and January. With economic growth set to slow sharply this year, the Bank of Canada is unlikely to follow through... 31st January 2019 · 1 min read
Canada Economics Update Consumers unlikely to spend their gasoline windfall The drop in gasoline prices in recent months is good news for households’ purchasing power, but we doubt they will spend all of their windfall. In fact, limited scope for further strong house price... 29th January 2019 · 1 min read
Canada Economics Weekly Weak November a sign of things to come At Davos this week, Governor Stephen Poloz reiterated that the Bank of Canada will remain data dependent with respect to the pace of future interest rate hikes. With GDP set to have contracted in... 25th January 2019 · 1 min read
Canada Chart Pack Surveys point to growth slowdown The Bank of Canada’s fourth-quarter Business Outlook Survey revealed a sharp deterioration in firms’ expectations for future sales. In fact, the future sales balance dropped into negative territory... 24th January 2019 · 1 min read
