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Equities
Canada’s main stock index started higher Monday helped by gains in energy and industrial stocks.
At 9:33 a.m. ET, the Toronto Stock Exchange’s S&P/TSX composite index was up 89.45 points, or 0.43 per cent, at 20,838.03.
Markets in the U.S. were closed for Memorial Day. All three main Wall Street indexes snapped a lengthy losing streak last week, finishing higher for the week.
“One interesting thing is that we observe that the equities and bonds stopped moving together since the 10-year yield hit 3 per cent threshold, suggesting that investors started moving capital to less risky bonds if they quit equities, instead of selling everything and sitting on cash,” Swissquote senior analyst Ipek Ozkardeskaya said in a note.
“That’s one positive sign in terms of broader risk appetite and should help assessing a bottom near the actual levels.”
In this country, interest rates are back in the spotlight with the Bank of Canada’s latest policy decision due on Wednesday morning.
The Globe’s Mark Rendell reports that the central bank is again expected to deliver another oversized rate hike as it looks to head off spiking inflation. The central bank is in the middle of its fastest rate hike cycle in decades after keeping its benchmark interest rate near zero for two years.
“The looming question is whether rates need to rise above that neutral range to get inflation back under control,” RBC economists Nathan Janzen and Claire Fan said in a report.
“So far, surging inflation has been as much a result of extremely strong demand as supply limits. Higher rates should work to address some of that pressure. Indeed, the initial impact of rising interest rates is already being felt in the housing market, where resales have cooled significantly and prices declined for the first time since the beginning of the pandemic.”
This week will also see fresh numbers on the Canadian economy. On Tuesday, Statistics Canada releases March and first-quarter GDP figures. On Friday, U.S. markets will get May jobs figures, with economists expecting to see a gain in hiring of more than 300,000 positions. Canada’s jobs numbers for the month will be released next week.
Overseas, the pan-European STOXX 600 was up 0.34 per cent by afternoon. Britain’s FTSE 100 gained was flat. Germany’s DAX and France’s CAC 40 advanced 0.38 per cent and 0.56 per cent, respectively. Markets in Britain will be shut Thursday and Friday for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.
In Asia, Japan’s Nikkei jumped 2.19 per cent. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng rose 2.06 per cent.
Commodities
Crude prices were higher ahead of an EU meeting aimed at reaching an agreement on whether to ban Russian fossil fuels.
The day range on Brent is US$118.98 to US$120.50. The range on West Texas Intermediate is US$114.86 to US$116.39.
The EU is scheduled to meet Monday and Tuesday to discuss a sixth package of sanctions in response to Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.
“I don’t think it would be a stretch to assume that speculators are positioning for a post-EU summit oil market bounce,” Stephen Innes, managing partner with SPI Asset Management, said.
“Also, no supply help should be expected from OPEC+, as the group is likely to stick to the monthly increase of 432,000 barrels a day for July at its meeting on 2 June, which should not come as a surprise.”
In other commodities, gold prices rose on Monday as the U.S. dollar weakened.
Spot gold was up 0.4 per cent at US$1,860.07 per ounce. U.S. gold futures also climbed 0.4 per cent to US$1,864.30.