Bank of Canada announcements Archives

01Nov

Bank of Canada holds rate at 1.75%, says Canada’s ‘resilience’ will be ‘tested’

[Global News - October 30, 2019] The Bank of Canada is keeping its key interest rate on hold in a decision that positions the country as an exception among advanced economies already responding to the weakening world economy. Governor Stephen Poloz’s team says the domestic economy has held up well in many respects and inflation has been close to target. They warn, however, that Canada isn’t immune to the negative effects of slowing global growth. “In considering the appropriate path for monetary [...]

Bank of Canada announcements

09Sep

Bank of Canada holds rates at 1.75% with no hint about future moves

[Global News - September 4, 2019] The Bank of Canada held interest rates steady as expected on Wednesday but said the escalating U.S.-China trade war was doing more damage to the global economy than it had forecast in July. The central bank — which has sat on the sidelines since last October — maintained its key overnight rate at 1.75 per cent and made no mention of future moves. The current level of stimulus remained appropriate, it said, reiterating the pace of Canadian economic growth [...]

Bank of Canada announcements

27Jul

Mortgage Stress Test Gets A Little Easier As BoC Lowers Rate

[July 19, 2019 - Huffpost] The Bank of Canada's posted mortgage rate is used in the stress test that many say has cooled Canada's housing markets. OTTAWA — The Bank of Canada has lowered the rate used by mortgage stress tests to determine whether would-be homeowners can qualify, marking the first drop in three years. The central bank’s five-year benchmark qualifying rate is now 5.14 per cent, down from 5.34 per cent. It’s the first decrease in the five-year fixed mortgage rate since September [...]

Bank of Canada announcements, British Columbia, Canada

09Mar

Bank of Canada holds interest rate steady but some suggest a rate cut could be back on the table

[CTV - March 6, 2019] Canada's central bank has decided to keep its benchmark interest rate at 1.75 per cent, and says the timing of possible future hikes has become increasingly uncertain. The Bank of Canada says the economic slowdown that began at the end of last year is a bit worse than it was expecting, including a sharper-than-anticipated slowdown in Canada's oil patch. The bank also singled out softness in the housing market and consumer spending as reasons for a gloomier [...]

Bank of Canada announcements

30May

Bank of Canada maintains overnight rate target at 1¼ per cent

[Source: Bank of Canada - May 30, 2018] The Bank of Canada today maintained its target for the overnight rate at 1¼ per cent. The Bank Rate is correspondingly 1½ per cent and the deposit rate is 1 per cent. Global economic activity remains broadly on track with the Bank’s April Monetary Policy Report (MPR) forecast. Recent data point to some upside to the outlook for the US economy. At the same time, ongoing uncertainty about trade policies is dampening global [...]

Bank of Canada announcements, Canada

12Jan

RBC hikes mortgage rates ahead of Bank of Canada rate decision

[Source: BNN, January 12, 2018] Royal Bank of Canada raised its posted five-year fixed mortgage rate on Thursday, the first of Canada’s Big Five banks to make the move ahead of the Bank of Canada’s interest rate decision next week. RBC increased its posted five-year fixed rate by 15 basis points to 5.14 per cent, with more rate hikes across the board. “Rate changes reflect recent activity by competitors, and the current costs that we incur for funds on the wholesale market [...]

Bank of Canada announcements, British Columbia, Canada, Economic Outlook

12Jan

Will the Bank of Canada hike rates next week? It looks more and more likely

[Source: Global News, January 8, 2018] The Bank of Canada (BoC) is likely to raise interest rates again when it makes its next monetary policy announcement on Jan. 17, according to economists at Canada’s big banks. Increasing the chances of another rate hike is the upbeat tone of the latest quarterly release of the so-called Business Outlook Survey, a closely watched barometer of business sentiment in this country, which the central bank released on Monday. Canadian companies are feeling optimistic about the future and [...]

Bank of Canada announcements, British Columbia, Canada, Economic Outlook

07Sep

Bank of Canada raises overnight rate to 1 per cent

[Source: CTV News, September 6, 2017] OTTAWA -- The Bank of Canada is once again raising its benchmark interest rate as it sees the economy's powerful performance pointing to broader, more self-sustaining growth. The central bank hiked its rate Wednesday by one-quarter point to 1.0 per cent, its second 25-basis-point increase since July. The move, which will likely be a surprise for some, came less than a week after the latest Statistics Canada numbers showed the economy expanded by an impressive 4.5 [...]

Bank of Canada announcements, Economic Outlook

26May

Bank of Canada leaves key rate unchanged, but ‘soft hawkish tilt’ emerges

[May 24, 2017, Globe and Mail] The Bank of Canada is creeping closer to its first rate hike in nearly seven years as it weighs the clashing forces of anemic inflation and a surprise burst of economic growth. The central bank opted Wednesday to keep its key overnight interest rate unchanged at 0.5 per cent – the 15th consecutive time it has done so since July, 2015. But the generally upbeat tone of the accompanying statement suggests Bank of Canada Governor Stephen [...]

Bank of Canada announcements

12Apr

Pressure is growing for the Bank of Canada to raise interest rates

[Source: Maclean's, April 7, 2017] Bank of Canada Governor Stephen Poloz insists the economy is weaker than it appears, but that argument is now in trouble. Bank of Canada governor Stephen Poloz used a history lesson Tuesday to make a case for a policy mix frequently promoted by the federal government -- an openness to more foreign investment, immigration and free trade. In a prepared speech, Poloz said Canada has seen these ingredients produce positive economic results in its past, including [...]

Bank of Canada announcements, Canada, Economic Outlook