BMO Financial Group expects North American economies will go through a shallow recession in 2023, according to Douglas Porter, the bank’s chief economist and managing director, during a session at the Canadian Investment Review‘s 2022 Defined Benefit Investment Forum. “I would give it a 25 per cent chance that central banks can still negotiate this without one. […]
An article on the FIRE — financial independence and retiring early — concept was the most-read story on BenefitsCanada.com over the last week. Here are the five most popular news stories of the week: 1. Is the concept of financial independence and early retirement truly feasible? 2. Expert panel: Can pension administrators deny benefits to plan members who don’t […]
Despite concerns about global economic headwinds, the Bank of Canada’s successful efforts to curb inflation is capturing the attention of institutional investors, says Kathrin Forrest, a Toronto-based equity investment specialist at Capital Group Inc. “It’s surprised market participants,” says Forrest, referring to the central bank’s Oct. 26 decision to increase interest rates for the sixth […]
The U.S. Federal Reserve is launching a high-risk effort to tame inflation, raising its benchmark short-term interest rate and signaling up to seven rate hikes. The central bank raised its key rate by a quarter-point hike, which it had pinned near zero since March 2020. In early March 2022, the Bank of Canada announced it […]
In a move widely anticipated by the financial sector, the Bank of Canada is increasing its target for the overnight rate to 0.5 per cent. “Persistently elevated inflation is increasing the risk that longer-run inflation expectations could drift upwards,” said the bank in a press release. “The bank will use its monetary policy tools to […]
The Bank of Canada kept its key interest rate on hold Wednesday, but warned higher interest rates are coming to help it reel in inflation from its hottest pace in three decades. The central bank lined up to kick off what’s expected to be a series of rate hikes this year starting as early as […]
Abrupt changes in climate policies from governments around the world could lead to fire sales of climate sensitive assets held by institutional investors, according to a the results of a pilot scenario analysis project from the Bank of Canada and the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions. “Climate transition risks are challenging to assess […]
Consensus is building among Canadian business leaders that inflation will average above three per cent over the next two years, according to a new survey from the Bank of Canada. The survey, which polled business leaders in the final quarter of 2021, found two-thirds (67 per cent) of respondents anticipated that inflation will stay above […]
Central bankers in developed economies are downplaying the risk of long-term inflation rises, according to a new paper by the Fraser Institute. “Absent a sharp reversal of central bank programs of quantitative easing, forecasts that inflation will return to the two per cent target rate of central banks by mid-2022 at the latest are likely […]
As inflation hits a record high in Canada, employers are helping workers weather the storm through various benefits and compensation offerings, according to several experts. In October, the Canadian inflation rate increased year over year by a record 4.7 per cent, the largest increase since February 2003, according to Statistics Canada. The Bank of Canada […]