Bank of Canada interest rate decision: What economists expect Dec. 6 – Canada Boosts

Bank of Canada governor Tiff Macklem during a news conference in Ottawa.

Subsequent rate of interest resolution baked in as a ‘maintain’ so far as economists and markets are involved

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The Bank of Canada’s subsequent interest rate decision is just about baked in as a “hold” so far as economists and markets are involved.

As an alternative, economists mentioned they are going to be scanning the central financial institution’s assertion on the Dec. 6 resolution for indicators that its view of the economic system and inflation is shifting.

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Financial institution of Canada governor Tiff Macklem said in a speech on Nov. 22 that “higher interest rates have cooled the overheated economy and taken the steam out of inflation,” including that he believes the central financial institution might have carried out sufficient to tame the buyer worth index.

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Canada reported GDP last week that confirmed the expansion contracted 1.4 per cent within the third quarter on an annualized foundation, “adding to evidence that the economy is softening,” Royal Financial institution of Canada economists Nathan Janzen and Claire Fan mentioned in a observe.

Inflation fell to three.1 per cent final month from a excessive of 8.1 per cent in June 2022.

Right here’s what economists say concerning the Financial institution of Canada charge resolution.

Carlos Capistran, Financial institution of America

“We expect the Bank of Canada (BoC) to remain on hold with the overnight rate at five per cent. The economy remains weak as shown by the GDP contraction in 3Q (-1.2 per quarter-over-quarter seasonally adjusted annual rate) and the output gap is closing. Inflation keeps falling and core inflation is now showing an incipient downward trend. But we expect the BoC to remain concerned about inflation as the level of core is still high (3.6 per cent year over year) and wage growth is still quite high (five per cent year over year). The risk is that instead of a ‘hawkish hold’ the BoC changes its language, and we get a ‘dovish hold,’ although we think it is too early for that. We expect the BoC to start its cutting cycle in June 2024, with risks for an earlier start. On strategy, assuming inflation moves lower, which is the key to initiation of cutting cycles in 2024, slower Canadian growth should allow faster cuts vs. the U.S.”

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Stéfane Marion and Alexandra Ducharme, Nationwide Financial institution of Canada

“Our fixed income strategists expect the Bank of Canada to leave its key interest rate unchanged this week. At this stage, we don’t expect an overt easing bias, given that the core inflation measures most often used by our central bank are all relatively sticky at three per cent. Having said that, it is important to note that these CPI (consumer price index) measures are prone to substitution bias, which can mask the extent to which consumers are adjusting to inflation. One way around this problem is to use the core personal consumption deflator, the (United States Federal Reserve’s) preferred measure of underlying inflation, which is published quarterly in our country. This measure shows that core inflation in Canada is decelerating very rapidly and was slightly below that of the U.S. in the third quarter at 2.1 per cent annualized. While the timing of a potential rate cut remains uncertain, current inflation trends in Canada suggest that some tangible relief for consumers is on the horizon in 2024.”

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Nathan Janzen and Claire Fan, Royal Financial institution of Canada

“The BoC is widely expected to hold the overnight rate steady at five per cent for the third meeting in a row. But the statement will be watched closely for signs that a slowing economy and easing inflation pressures are shifting future interest rate cuts into focus…. With evidence building that the economy is softening, the focus has shifted from whether additional interest rate hikes will be needed to how long before the first cuts. While we’re expecting a dovish lean from the BoC relative to past interest rate decisions, and governor Macklem himself has said that past rate hikes may have been enough to slow inflation to target, we don’t see the BoC rushing to cutting rates. Lower inflation prints over the late fall were welcome but followed a string of ‘sticky’ core inflation readings. We expect the BoC will stay on hold through the first half of 2024 before moving to rate cuts in Q3 next year.”

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