Notes From The Desk
Slow or Slower
The Bank of Canada opted to hold rates steady to assess the fallout from the trade conflict with the US. Furthermore, the Bank offered little forward rate guidance, opting to maintain maximum...
Knock, Knock. Who’s there? Tariffs. Just Kidding.
Despite bold claims from the US administration that Americans should ignore the decline in equities and spike in yields, it is evident that they faced a great deal of pressure to walk back the...
FOMC Meeting – Much Ado About Nothing
As expected, the Federal Reserve (Fed) held rates steady. In light of the uncertainty created by the US administration, the Fed reiterated that they remain ‘data dependent’. The numbers. The dot...
The BoC Rate Cute – Certainly Uncertain
Amid ‘pervasive uncertainty’, the Bank of Canada (BoC) cut the overnight rate 25 bps to 2.75%, taking us to the midpoint of their estimated range for the neutral rate (2.25% - 3.25%). The Decision. ...
Canadian & US Employment Data – No Big Deal
Investors and traders are likely relieved that today’s employment data didn’t add to the market confusion. The Numbers. Canada 1.1k jobs created (20k expected) Unemployment rate 6.6% (6.7% expected)...
FOMC Rate Announcement
Nobody was surprised that the FOMC held rates steady this afternoon. Inflation remains elevated, while the labour market remains strong, leaving the FOMC to remain on the sidelines. The Press...
Bank of Canada Rate Announcement
The Bank of Canada (BoC) lowered the policy rate by 25 bps to 3%, now firmly inside the 2.25%-3.25% neutral rate band. The Bank also dropped forward rate guidance, adopting a neutral posture for...
Employment Data – The Plot Thickens
Today’s employment data confirms that economic conditions between Canada and the US continue to diverge. The numbers. US 227k jobs created (220k expected). Unemployment rate: 4.2% (4.1% expected)....
Canadian GDP – Sl’oh Canada
This morning, all eyes were on GDP to hint at what the Bank of Canada (BoC) will do at their December 11th meeting. The numbers. Q3 GDP: 1.0% (vs. 1.1% expected). September MoM GDP: 0.1% (vs. 0.3%)....
CAD October CPI – Neither Here Nor There
Inflation rose slightly in October, with headline CPI at 2%. But this probably does very little to influence the Bank of Canada’s (BoC) decision in December. The numbers. YoY CPI: 2% (1.9%...
Canadian Employment Data – Nothing To See Here
Domestic employment growth was humdrum in October. The numbers. 14.7k jobs created (27k expected) The mix was slightly favourable, with 25.6k full-time positions generated versus 11.2k...
FOMC – The Results Are In
The Americans had one unanimous vote this week, with all members of the Federal Reserve Committee agreeing to deliver a 25 bps cut, reducing the target range for the Fed Funds Rate to 4.5-4.75%....