Economic Indicators

Real estate investment faces challenges

While Canada’s residential real estate market posted its largest year-over-year gain in two years this July, its commercial real estate sector still faces “trying times” and significant obstacles that could send some owners into creditor protection, according to a PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) report. The report blames tight industry lending conditions; poor investor appetite for commercial mortgage-backed […]

By Kanupriya Vashisht |August 17, 2009

5 min read

Economy struggled in May

Canada’s GDP contracted by 0.5% in May, posting a slightly worse performance than the 0.3% contraction analysts had predicted. The malaise in the goods-producing sector led the decline as manufacturing activity dropped by 1.6% in May. With the Canadian dollar at its highest point since October 2008, recovery in manufacturing could be held back. The […]

By Rayann Huang |July 31, 2009

3 min read

Bay Street bullish, Canadians less so

Canadians remain guarded about their financial wellbeing, despite a steady stream of positive news bolstering the market, according to the latest Russell Financial Health Index (RFHI) — an online calculator that gauges the overall financial health of investors on a quarterly basis. The index fell to 48.50 points from April to June 2009, down from […]

By Kanupriya Vashisht |July 23, 2009

2 min read

Welcome to the trough: BoC

While the Bank of Canada’s Monetary Policy Report confirms the outlook for growth in 2009 and 2010 will remain broadly unchanged from its April Report, it has considerably toned down the risk of a sustained economic decline. At the time of the April Report, the Bank had projected the recession in Canada would deepen further […]

By Kanupriya Vashisht |July 23, 2009

4 min read