The Bank of Canada holds rates steady in the face of tariff uncertainty

General Kimberly Coutts 16 Apr

Bank of Canada Holds Rates Steady In The Face Of Tariff Uncertainty–More Rate Cuts Coming The Bank of Canada held its benchmark interest rate unchanged at 2.75% at today’s meeting, as expected by half of the market, to mark the first hold following 225 basis points of cuts in seven consecutive decisions. The governing council noted […]

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Tariffs Dampen Canada’s Spring Housing Season

General Kimberly Coutts 16 Apr

Global Tariff Uncertainty Sidelines Buyers Canadian existing home sales plunged last month as tariff concerns again mothballed home-buying intentions. Consumer confidence has fallen to rock-bottom levels as many fear the prospect of job losses and higher prices. According to data released today by the Canadian Real Estate Association, existing home sales declined by 4.8% month-over-month. […]

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Better than expected Canadian inflation in March may not be enough to trigger another BoC rate cut tomorrow

General Kimberly Coutts 16 Apr

Weaker Than Expected Inflation May Not Be Enough to Trigger Another Bank of Canada Rate Cut Tomorrow Canadian consumer prices rose 0.3% in March (or remained flat when seasonally adjusted), which was lower than expected, reducing the annual inflation rate by 0.3 percentage points to 2.3%. This decrease in headline inflation followed the complete removal […]

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Weak Canadian job growth in March and rising unemployment is the first harbinger of a trade-war induced economic slowdown

General Kimberly Coutts 7 Apr

Weak Canadian Job Creation Is The First Fallout From The Trade War Today’s Labour Force Survey for March was weaker than expected. Employment decreased by 33,000 (-0.2%) in March, the first decrease since January 2022. The decline in March followed little change in February and three consecutive months of growth in November, December and January, totalling 211,000 (+1.0%). The employment rate—the […]

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Canadian Inflation Jumped to 2.6% y/y in February As GST Tax Holiday Ended

General Kimberly Coutts 31 Mar

Canadian Inflation Surged to 2.6% in February, Much Stronger Than Expected The Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose 2.6% year-over-year (y/y) in February, following an increase of 1.9% in January. With the federal tax break ending on February 15, the GST and HST were reapplied to eligible products. This put upward pressure on consumer prices for those items, as taxes paid by consumers […]

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Canadian home sales plunged in February, spooked by tariff concerns

General Kimberly Coutts 31 Mar

Global Tariff Uncertainty Sidelined Buyers Canadian existing home sales plunged last month as tariff concerns moth-balled home buying intentions. According to data released Monday by the Canadian Real Estate Association, transactions fell 9.8% from January. Activity was at its lowest level since November 2023. Benchmark home prices declined 0.8%, and new listings plunged, more than […]

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Variable-Rate Mortgages: What You Should Know

General Kimberly Coutts 31 Mar

Shakespeare might have thought ‘to be or not to be’ was the ultimate question, but he wasn’t living in 2025 trying to minimize bank fees and interest charges while maximizing financial returns—and having to pay $9 for a clamshell of raspberries. This month, we’re tackling a modern dilemma: ‘Should I get a variable or fixed […]

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The Bank of Canada Cut Rates by 25 bps On Tariff Concerns

General Kimberly Coutts 12 Mar

Bank of Canada Cuts Policy Rate By 25 BPs The Bank of Canada (BoC) reduced the overnight rate by 25 basis points this morning, bringing the policy rate down to 2.75%, within the neutral range of 2.25%—2.75%. Tariff tremors have already led to a decline in consumer confidence and spending, a weakening labour market, and […]

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Canadian Job Growth Stalls in February

General Kimberly Coutts 7 Mar

Weak Canadian Job Creation Opens The Way For BoC Easing Next Week Today’s Labour Force Survey for February was weaker than expected, showing de minimis job growth last month. Employment held steady in February (+1,100; +0.0%), following three consecutive monthly increases totalling 211,000 (+1.0%) in November, December and January. On a year-over-year basis, employment was up by 387,000 (+1.9%) […]

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Trump did it–the trade war started at midnight. Stocks and currencies are falling, but so are interest rates.

General Kimberly Coutts 4 Mar

Trump Did It–Trade War Starts Today Trump has imposed tariffs of 25% on goods coming from Mexico and Canada, 10% on Canadian energy, and an additional  10% on goods from China. He justified these actions by claiming they would force Mexico and Canada to address issues related to undocumented migration and drug trafficking. However, while […]

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