Bank of Canada Rate Decision – Passing the Baton

This morning, the BoC cut the policy rate by 25 bps, bringing it to 2.25%.  The vital development was the Bank signalling that this might be it for rate cuts, at least in the near term. The interesting bits. “The Governing Council sees the current policy rate at about...

US & CAD Employment – The Case for Cuts

Today’s employment data confirms that businesses in the US and Canada are reluctant to add headcount.  Both reports came in below expectations, making the case for the BoC and Fed to cut this month. The Numbers. Canada. Net Change: -65.5k (+5k expected) Full-time...

CAD July CPI – Clearing Another Hurdle

The Bank of Canada (BoC) is walking a fine line between inflation and growth concerns.  Today’s CPI data ought to make them a touch more comfortable that inflation is not accelerating. The Numbers. Headline CPI 1.7% (1.8% expected) Gasoline, clothing, and air...

US July Payrolls – That’s Gonna Leave a Mark

Today’s report calls into question Chairman Powell’s view that the labour market is in balance. The Numbers. 73k jobs created vs 104k expected The previous two months’ payrolls were revised lower by 258k vs an expected 16k increase This brings the...

Bank of Canada Rate Decision – A Dovish Hold

As expected, the BoC held rates steady at 2.75%. Today’s decision was accompanied by an updated Monetary Policy Report (MPR), in which the Bank provided economic forecasts based on three trade scenarios: current tariffs, de-escalation, and escalation. The noteables....