After getting out of bed and making himself a coffee one morning in 2012, Rodney Habib opened his computer and was greeted by a barrage of red notification icons. His email program warned him it had reached maximum capacity. His Facebook notification counter, meanwhile, simply read “99+.” Scrolling recorded on his timeline, he soon started to understand that “99+” would be a ...
Read More »U.S. wage strength backs two 2016 Fed hikes, while Canada unlikely to raise rates until 2018, TD economist says
Hidden employment market strength justifies the U.S. Fed raising rates of interest twice this year to curb inflation pressures, according to Beata Caranci, chief economist at Toronto-Dominion Bank, that has more branches within the U.S. than its very own country. Wages in states like New York and Massachusetts are rising at approximately a 3 per cent pace as employers look ...
Read More »Alberta government’s policies are undermining business amid downturn, employers’ group says
EDMONTON – An alliance of employer organizations is asking for a conference with Alberta Premier Rachel Notley to go over what it really calls the “dire economic situation” within the province. The alliance – made up of 15 associations representing contractors, retailers, energy sector companies yet others – has sent a wide open letter to the premier. It states that ...
Read More »European Central Bank, Federal Reserve policies leave Bank of Canada firmly in the middle
OTTAWA – Mario Draghi is not the type of central banker to back away from the fight, and Thursday wasn’t any different. Faced with low inflation over the eurozone, the ecu Central Bank president – who once famously pledged to do “whatever it takes” to shore up the economy from the 19-nation economy and steer clear of a deflation spiral ...
Read More »$19 billion default wave poised to come crashing down as debt catches up to oil boom
Investors are facing US$19 billion in energy defaults as the worst oil crash inside a generation leaves drillers can not stay afloat. Don’t allow the rally fool you: Commodity information mill going to a massive debt cliff The debt burden keeps growing for many miners and drillers no matter how hard they pump and dig – a conundrum that holds ...
Read More »Take profits in gold equities, but be ready to buy more: BMO
Gold equities have been receiving a fantastic run so far in 2016 amid the rally in prices. Analysts at BMO Capital Markets think the time has come to take a few profits from the table, as the second quarter is a seasonally weak period for gold. “We expect precious metals equities to outperform within the next 12 months, but anticipate ...
Read More »Canadian banks embracing fintech even as global CEOs see threat in technology: PwC
Canadian banks are actively pursuing opportunities to play an integral part within the growth of fintech, even though 81 percent of global banking CEOs begin to see the pace of technological change as a threat, PwC says inside a new report. The consulting firm says the large banks in Canada are “laser-focused” on answering both threats and opportunities presented by ...
Read More »What Ontario needs to unlock Ring of Fire’s mineral wealth is a Marshall Plan
Ontario’s “Ring of Fire” mineral belt, located in the province’s remote James Bay Lowlands, is believed to carry a lot more than $60 billion of geological riches. Once the belt was discovered in 2007, it was designed to usher in a new era of prosperity for Northern Ontario, especially for the impoverished First Nations communities in the region. Almost a ...
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