Canada Economics Update 25bp cut but Bank unwilling to commit to more yet Alongside the decision to cut its policy rate by 25p today, the Bank of Canada dropped its previous forward guidance hinting at more cuts to come. Nonetheless, Governor Tiff Macklem’s comments in the... 17th September 2025 · 3 mins read
Canada Economics Update Canada Housing Watch (Sep. 2025) The rise in home sales in August was a little better than expected and, while house prices did edge down, there was little in the latest housing data to make us doubt our view that house prices are... 16th September 2025 · 4 mins read
Canada Economics Update Tariff rate appears manageable Estimates from the US International Trade Commission (USITC) suggest that Canadian exporters faced an average tariff rate of just 2.5% in June. Even if that figure understates the bill, as we suspect... 28th August 2025 · 4 mins read
Canada Economics Update Counter-tariff shift makes life easier for the Bank The unilateral reduction in tariffs by Ottawa in the US-Canada trade war raises the likelihood of the Bank of Canada resuming its easing cycle next month given that, with US tariffs unchanged, the... 26th August 2025 · 4 mins read
Canada Economics Update Canada Housing Watch (Aug. 2025) The fourth consecutive rise in home sales in July means that the housing market is developing close to our expectations, with prices stabilising last month. Housing starts recorded another strong... 18th August 2025 · 4 mins read
Canada Economics Update The Labour Force Survey is overstating jobs growth The Labour Force Survey is overstating population growth and therefore almost certainly overestimating employment growth. The alternative Survey of Employment, Payrolls and Hours points to much weaker... 6th August 2025 · 3 mins read
Global Economics Update New US tariff regime still not the end of the story President Trump’s latest flurry of tariffs implies that the US effective tariff rate will rise to about 18%, from 2.3% last year. That is a little higher than we assumed and so presents modest... 1st August 2025 · 5 mins read
Canada Economics Update BoC holds but slower growth beginning to raise concern While the Bank of Canada kept interest rates unchanged at 2.75% for a third consecutive meeting today, the communications showed policymakers placing greater emphasis on the downside risks to growth... 30th July 2025 · 3 mins read
Canada Economics Update Outdated BoC surveys understate economic resilience Bleak sales and spending intentions captured by the Bank of Canada’s second-quarter business and consumer surveys are consistent with a sharp downturn in GDP growth. However, the surveys were carried... 21st July 2025 · 4 mins read
Canada Economics Update Canada Housing Watch (Jul. 2025) The third consecutive rise in home sales in June lends some support to our view that house prices will soon stabilise, even if mortgage rates do not decline by quite as much as we expect. Elsewhere... 16th July 2025 · 4 mins read
Canada Economics Update “One Canada” boost won’t come overnight The One Canadian Economy Act (Bill C-5) is a positive step towards reducing dependency on the US in the long run. But it will do little to offset the blow to trade from tariffs given that even fast... 25th June 2025 · 4 mins read
Canada Economics Update Manufacturers struggling to escape tariffs despite USMCA Data from the first two months of US tariffs being in effect suggest that both Canadian and Mexican manufacturers were struggling to make their exports USMCA-compliant, which poses a downward risk to... 24th June 2025 · 5 mins read
Canada Economics Update Canada Housing Watch (June 25) The rise in home sales in May suggests a nascent recovery is underway in the housing market following a tariff-induced shock. While we see further upside for house prices this year, as lower mortgage... 16th June 2025 · 4 mins read
Middle East & North Africa Economics Update Israel’s strikes on Iran: assessing the macro impact The overnight strikes by Israel on Iran mark a major escalation in the conflict in the region and, with the oil market tighter than it was a few months ago, the risks to oil prices look more balanced... 13th June 2025 · 6 mins read
Canada Economics Update Still strong immigration will push unemployment higher Visa approvals for temporary residents have picked up, which suggests that, rather than contracting as the government previously outlined, the population will continue to grow this year. This will... 5th June 2025 · 4 mins read
Canada Economics Update Bank of Canada bides its time, but cuts still coming The Bank of Canada avoided surprising markets by keeping its policy rate at 2.75% today, as it continues to wait to see the full impact of US trade policy on the economy. Nonetheless, the Bank... 4th June 2025 · 3 mins read