Toolkit of Economic Indicators

  The C.D. Howe Institute’s toolkit for tracking the economy is a customized series of data sets from past Institute publications. These tools can be helpful for policymakers and other parties interested in analyzing monetary policy and financial stability decisions. These unique variables, which can all be found in past Institute work, include: The Leading […]

The “Great Advantage to Doing Nothing” on Interest Rates

To: Interest rate watchersFrom: Jeremy M. Kronick and Steve AmblerDate: April 23, 2025Re: The “Great Advantage to Doing Nothing” on Interest Rates After seven straight cuts, the Bank of Canada hit pause last week and held its policy interest rate at 2.75 percent. We have argued over the last few months that the Bank needed to cut the overnight rate […]

The Bank of Canada was right to hold rates steady

Published in the Globe and Mail. After seven straight cuts, the Bank of Canada hit the pause button on Wednesday and held its policy interest rate at 2.75 per cent. We have argued over the last few months that the bank needed to cut the overnight rate to at least get it back to the mid-point of […]

Mortgage Interest Costs Mask Progress on Inflation

Shortly after the Bank of Canada began raising the overnight rate in March 2022, inflation started to move back towards its 2 percent target. However, if we exclude mortgage interest costs, which increased substantially following the rapid rise in the overnight rate, inflation returned to 2 percent much faster. In fact, inflation excluding mortgage interest […]

Dollar Weakness is our Best Tariff Defence

From: William B.P. RobsonTo: Canadian economic observersDate: March 19, 2025Re: Dollar Weakness is our Best Tariff Defence The Canadian dollar is down about 6 percent against the US dollar since September. The coincidence of its recent ups and downs with the ebb and flow of US President Donald Trump’s tariff threats shows that much of its decline reflects concern about US protectionism. […]

The Way Forward for Interest Rate Cuts

To: Interest rate watchersFrom: Jeremy M. Kronick and Steve AmblerDate: March 18, 2025Re: The Way Forward for Interest Rate Cuts The Bank of Canada cut its policy interest rate to 2.75 percent last week Wednesday, its seventh cut in as many announcements. Notwithstanding recent data showing a strong economy at the turn of the year, the needless trade war, […]

Bank of Canada Made the Right Call to Cut Rates. But Where to From Here?

Published in The Globe and Mail The Bank of Canada cut its policy interest rate to 2.75 per cent on Wednesday, its seventh cut in as many announcements. Notwithstanding recent data showing a strong economy at the turn of the year, the needless trade war, the flip-flopping US policy, and the uncertainty this has caused […]

Blurred Vision: How Mortgage Interest Costs Impact Inflation

The Study in Brief Mortgage interest costs can undergo large swings during tightening and/or loosening cycles by the Bank of Canada. Although they have a weight of only around 5 percent in the Canadian Consumer Price Index (CPI), they can significantly affect movements in the latter as a result of these large swings. The year-over-year […]

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