The Bank of Canada lowered its key interest rate to 4.25 per cent on Wednesday, the third consecutive cut since June. The central bank said the reduction comes after “continued easing in broad inflationary pressures.” The key interest rate was lowered by another 25 basis points, following a pattern established earlier this summer when rates were … Read more
Canada’s economy shed 2,800 jobs in July while the unemployment rate was unchanged at 6.4 per cent, Statistics Canada said on Friday. Employment fell in wholesale and retail trade, which shed 44,000 jobs, and in finance, insurance, real estate, rental and leasing, which shed 15,000 jobs. Public administration, transportation and warehousing, and utilities saw jobs gains. … Read more
Wall Street fell the most in nearly two years, continuing a global rout in financial markets as fears worsen that the U.S. economy is slowing down. The S&P 500 fell three per cent on Monday. The Dow Jones industrial average dropped more than 1,000 points and the Nasdaq composite slid 3.4 per cent. The declines were just the latest … Read more
The 30-year amortized mortgages announced in the 2024 federal budget are kicking in on Thursday. First-time homebuyers who are purchasing newly built homes can now qualify for a 30-year mortgage, giving them five additional years to pay off an insured mortgage. For other mortgages where default insurance is required, a 25-year amortization limit is still … Read more
The Bank of Canada cut its key interest rate to 4.5 per cent on Wednesday, with governor Tiff Macklem saying during a news conference that it would be reasonable to expect further rate cuts if inflation continues to ease. The cut was widely expected by economists after inflation eased in June. It marked the central bank’s second … Read more
Real estate activity across Canada in June showed a drop in both sales and housing prices compared to June 2023, says the Canadian Real Estate Association, though sales perked up a bit compared to May 2024. According to the latest numbers from CREA, home sales activity as registered in the Canadian Multiple Listing Service (MLS) went up … Read more
For months, the Bank of Canada has been trying to thread a needle: slow the economy just enough to get inflation back under control but not so much that it causes a recession. In a report released this week, the central bank offered up plenty of evidence that its strategy is working. Inflation has eased, economic growth has … Read more
The Bank of Canada has lowered its key interest rate to 4.75 per cent, marking the bank’s first rate cut since March 2020. Bank governor Tiff Macklem said in opening remarks that the bank’s monetary policy no longer needs to be as restrictive. “We’ve come a long way in the fight against inflation. And our confidence that inflation will continue … Read more
The Bank of Canada has held its key interest rate at five per cent again, saying that it’s still too soon to consider rate cuts while underlying inflation persists. Economists were widely expecting the central bank to hold the rate. The bank said in a note on its website that it was still concerned about underlying inflation, which strips … Read more
The Canadian economy continues to beat recession fears, posting modest growth in the fourth quarter even as high interest rates weighed on consumers and businesses. Statistics Canada reported Thursday that real gross domestic product increased by an annualized rate of one per cent, beating economists’ expectations and the Bank of Canada’s forecast for the final … Read more
