Canada Economics Update Housing activity weakening but not collapsing The latest data suggest that the broader housing sector is coping relatively well with higher interest rates. While housing starts and renovations spending are starting to decline from elevated levels... 21st September 2022 · 4 mins read
Canada Economics Update Is the government to blame for labour shortages? The public sector has been responsible for almost 90% of the rise in total employment since the pandemic and now accounts for the largest sustained share of employment since the early 1990s. The... 13th September 2022 · 4 mins read
Canada Economics Update Bank gives little away as it hikes by 75bp The Bank of Canada remains concerned about the risk of high inflation expectations becoming entrenched but, with the economy now slowing sharply and inflation set to ease by more than the Bank... 7th September 2022 · 3 mins read
Canada Economics Update Better news on core inflation ahead We expect some of the recent surge in travel services prices to be reversed after the summer which, together with signs that global goods shortages are easing, suggests that core inflation is close to... 30th August 2022 · 4 mins read
Canada Economics Update Housing Watch (Aug.) Home sales fell further below the pre-pandemic norm in July and pre-construction sales seem to have fallen through the floor, but there is no evidence yet that this is weighing on construction. 17th August 2022 · 4 mins read
Canada Economics We doubt the Canadian dollar’s resilience will last much longer The Canadian dollar has held up relatively well against the US dollar so far in 2022, but we think the factors underpinning the loonie’s resilience will fade and push it lower against the greenback... 11th August 2022 · 2 mins read
Canada Economics Update Will Canadians retire themselves into a recession? The sharp increase in retirements this year presents downside risks to our forecasts for employment and, with GDP growth already faltering, further raises the probability that economic activity will... 9th August 2022 · 2 mins read
Canada Economics Update Inventory building will not transform the outlook There is scope for inventory building to boost GDP growth in the near term but, as the US experience has recently demonstrated, this could raise the risk of GDP falling in the following quarters. 4th August 2022 · 2 mins read
Canada Economics Update Loonie unlikely to have big bearing on policy outlook Governor Tiff Macklem has voiced concern about the inflationary impact of the loonie, but we doubt that a modest fall would prevent the Bank of Canada from pausing its tightening before the Federal... 28th July 2022 · 3 mins read
Canada Economics Update Housing Watch (Jul.) The further decline in home sales in June and the record monthly fall in house prices did little to affect construction activity, with housing starts once again outperforming expectations last month... 19th July 2022 · 4 mins read
Canada Economics Update Bank pulls out all the stops with 100 bp hike The Bank of Canada’s 100 bp hike today and its accompanying communications have led us to upgrade our forecast for the policy rate to 3.5% by the October policy meeting, from 3.0%. As the commodity... 13th July 2022 · 3 mins read
Canada Economics Update House prices to slump by 20% The Bank of Canada’s hawkishness, a widening of mortgage spreads, and news that at least one lender is restricting new loan applications suggest the outlook for house prices is worse than we... 16th June 2022 · 2 mins read
Canada Economics Update Bank risks sending housing into a tailspin The Bank of Canada’s recent communications suggest that it will be unfazed by the second consecutive double-digit drop in home sales in May. This raises the chance of the Bank enacting a larger... 7th June 2022 · 4 mins read
Canada Economics Update Bank hikes rates by 50bp again and hints at even more The Bank of Canada hiked its policy rate by another 50bp, to 1.5%, today and, after warning that "the risk of elevated inflation becoming entrenched has risen", closed the accompanying statement with... 1st June 2022 · 3 mins read
Canada Economics Update Fall in house prices to contribute to lower CPI inflation The 10% fall in house prices that we expect over the next 12 months will also help to pull down CPI inflation, via its impact on shelter costs. Admittedly, shelter inflation is unlikely to decline... 16th May 2022 · 2 mins read
Canada Economics Update Spring market brings deep freeze for home sales The steep declines in home sales across Canada’s major cities reinforces our view that a downturn in residential investment will prevent the Bank of Canada from raising interest rates by as much as... 4th May 2022 · 2 mins read
