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
Business insolvencies jumped by more than 41 per cent in 2023, according to data released Friday by Canada’s top financial regulator. The report from the Office of the Superintendent of Bankruptcy showed that the total number of insolvencies — meaning those filed by both businesses and consumers — was up by 23.6 per cent last year. The … Read more
Bank of Canada governor Tiff Macklem says the central bank can’t solve the housing crisis with interest rates because the root cause is a supply shortage. Macklem faced multiple questions on housing affordability during an appearance before the finance committee on Thursday — one week after the bank yet again kept its key overnight interest rate at … Read more
Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland has approved RBC’s $13.5-billion takeover of HSBC Canada, despite calls from opposition politicians and other groups to block it over concerns of reduced competition. Freeland’s approval was the last hurdle for the deal after the Competition Bureau approved it in September. The minister’s approval comes with conditions on RBC, including that … Read more
For a third straight time, the U.S. Federal Reserve kept its key interest rate unchanged Wednesday, as it signalled its expectations to make a series of quarter-point cuts to the benchmark interest rate next year. Those envisioned rate cuts — which wouldn’t likely begin until the second half of 2024 — suggest officials think high borrowing rates … Read more
