Continuing what has been a volatile year for consumers, Canada’s retail sales decreased by 0.6% in July compared to June, according to data released on Thursday by Statistics Canada. The decline is just the latest swing in what has been an ever-changing consumer landscape amid uncertainty concerning ... READ MORE >
Canada
RSM Canada Financial Conditions Index remains solid as election approaches.
The Trudeau government goes into Monday’s election with momentum behind the prospects for economic growth and with the financial markets in a steady state. As the Bank of Canada noted in its Sept. 8 assessment, “Financial conditions remain highly accommodative.” But will the unintended consequences of ... READ MORE >
Canadian law firms are losing talent to more lucrative U.S. jobs. How can they stop the exodus?
The red-hot labor market for lawyers in the United States is magnetizing Canadian lawyers eager to join their American counterparts on the quest for lucrative wage increases at U.S. firms. Canadian firms, meanwhile, have been slower to react with widespread wage adjustments, but we expect that to change ... READ MORE >
RSM Canada Financial Conditions Index: The global threat of a resurgent virus
Canada’s financial markets continued their cautious optimism in August despite the unexpected 1.1% decline in second-quarter gross domestic product because of declining demand in exports, supply chain constraints and residential investment. That economic surprise may slow those at the Bank of Canada ... READ MORE >
3 things to know in energy: OPEC+ compromise, coal-to-gas conversion, pipeline cybersecurity
Biweekly, we highlight three things going on in the energy industry that we think you should know about. This week, we take a look at how the recent OPEC+ decision to increase oil production will affect the industry, a Canada company's coal-to-gas conversion for its electrical power generation ... READ MORE >
Canada’s economic miracle: How Vancouver and Toronto have defied the pandemic and trade wars
As the coronavirus has upended the daily lives of Canadians, a certain accepted wisdom has emerged about where and how people live. The pandemic, the thinking goes, has caused a dramatic shift in population patterns: namely, a depopulation of major urban areas in favour of suburban, exurban and rural ... READ MORE >
3 things to know in energy: OPEC+ stalemate, carbon capture, labor shortages
Biweekly, we highlight three things going on in the energy industry that we think you should know about. Our focus this week is on OPEC+ oil production discussions, the use of carbon capture projects, and labor challenges within the industry. Here’s the latest. 1. OPEC+ stalemate As the world ... READ MORE >
RSM Canada Financial Conditions Index: Accommodation to continue while economy shows signs of revitalization
At its June policy meeting, the Bank of Canada reiterated its intention to maintain an accommodative monetary policy as uncertainty over the pace of the pandemic abates and the economy recovers. As it has for the past 16 months, the bank is keeping its policy rate at near-zero to maintain liquidity ... READ MORE >
3 things to know in energy: Legal challenge on drilling suspension, U.S.-Canada pipelines, WTI futures
Biweekly, we highlight three things going on in the energy industry that we think you should know about. This week, we take a look at a new challenge to President Biden’s suspension on new oil and gas permits on federal lands, the outlook for American and Canadian oil pipelines in the wake of the Keystone ... READ MORE >
3 things to know this week in energy: Oil prices spike, workforce diversity, Inter Pipeline
Biweekly, we highlight three things going on in the energy industry that we think you should know about. This week, we take a look at the driving forces behind the recent two-year high in oil prices, a new report on gender diversity in energy technology and services, and a bidding war over a ... READ MORE >