Tag Archives: interest rates

September Is Living Up to Its Reputation as the Worst Month for Investing

For the most parts, stocks have been having a pretty solid year with the S&P 500 climbing 17.4% from January through August and the TSX up 4.68% over the same period. These gains come despite stubbornly high inflation, high interest rates, and ongoing fears about a recession. Even the Cboe Volatility Index (VIX), which is […]

Bank of Canada Holds Interest Rate at 5% as Economy and Corporate Earnings Slow

On September 6, the Bank of Canada announced it was holdings its key interest rate at 5%. In a prepared statement the country’s central bank said the cooling job market and slowing economic growth were two reasons why it opted to pause its benchmark lending rate. The Bank of Canada said, however, that should inflationary […]

Does Weaker Canadian Economic Data Point to a Pause in Interest Rate Hikes?

The Bank of Canada has been aggressively raising interest rates to cool the economy and stave off a recession. Since March 2022, it has increased its key lending rate 10 times, from 0.25% in March 2022 to a 22-year high of 5.00% in July 2022. It looks like the interest rate hikes are working, and […]

TSX Poised for New Record in 2024 and Could Outperform S&P 500

Outlook for TSX Remains Robust

The TSX did better than its American counterparts in 2022 but its been a different story in 2023. U.S. stocks did exceptionally well in the first half of 2023 with the S&P 500 closing out the second quarter up 15.5%. This is impressive, but not as good as the artificial intelligence (AI)-fuelled run on the […]

Inflation Is in the Bank of Canada’s Target Range at 2.8%

Bank of Canada Interest rates

Canada’s inflation rate has been declining at a steady pace over the last year, from 8.1% in June 2022 to 2.8% in June 2023. That’s the lowest level since early 2021. And at 2.8%, Canada’s inflation rate has fallen within the Bank of Canada’s target range of 1% to 3% percent. Despite the big drop […]

Strong Economic Data Sends Stocks Reeling

Strong Economic Data Sends Stocks Reeling

Bay Street and Wall Street tumbled lower on Thursday, July 6 after strong economic data out of the U.S. suggested the labour market remains resilient, pointing to yet another interest rate hike. Data from payroll-services firm ADP showed that private payrolls jumped to 497,000 in June, more than double the 220,000 Wall Street analysts were […]

Strong Retail Sales Points to July Interest Rate Hike by Bank of Canada

Interest Rate Hike by Bank of Canada

The Bank of Canada has raised interest rates nine times since the start of 2022, from 0.25% to the current rate of 4.75%. The central bank has taken an aggressive rate hike policy in an effort to tame stubbornly high inflation. Yet, despite higher interest rates, which is designed to slow consumer consumption, Canadians continue […]

Bank of Canada Hikes Interest Rates to the Highest Level in 22 Years

Bank of Canada Hikes Interest Rates

The Bank of Canada surprised some when it resumed its monetary tightening policy, increasing its benchmark interest rate by 25 basis points to 4.75%; the highest level since May 2001. This is also the first time that the Bank of Canada has raised its key lending rate since January. At the start of the year […]

TSX Trends Lower as Canadian Economy Heats Up, Sparking Concerns of a Rate Hike

Toronto Stock Exchange

The Toronto Stock Exchange, Canada’s main stock index, is trading at its lowest level since March, as crude oil prices face headwinds and economic data out of Canada and the U.S. could force the Bank of Canada and Federal Reserve to raise interest rates even higher to cool stubbornly high inflation. The Toronto Stock Exchange’s […]

Is the TSX Going to Hit Record Levels in 2023?

Stocks

There’s still a month left in the year but analysts are providing guidance for how they believe the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX) and S&P 500 will do in 2023. The outlook for stocks listed on the TSX remains bullish while U.S. stocks may experience more volatility in 2023. Nothing is set in stone of course, […]