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Canada’s housing affordability challenge has evolved from a cyclical imbalance into a structural economic issue. Home prices and rents surged dramatically following the pandemic, but even as interest rates rose sharply, affordability has not meaningfully improved. This raises a central policy question: Is Canada’s housing crisis primarily the result of policy missteps, or is it fundamentally a supply shock?
The United States has carried elevated fiscal deficits for years, but the post-pandemic period has introduced a more complex challenge: large deficits are persisting even in a stable labor market and moderate-growth environment. What was once cyclical stimulus is increasingly structural imbalance.
Canada’s renewed push to strengthen economic ties with China signals a pragmatic shift in trade strategy. Facing rising geopolitical uncertainty and heavy export dependence on the United States, Ottawa appears to be pursuing diversification — expanding commercial engagement with Asia while maintaining its traditional Western alliances.
In a significant ruling, the Supreme Court of the United States has struck down key tariffs imposed during the administration of Donald Trump.
The global energy landscape in 2026 is undergoing a structural reset. While renewable energy remains central to long-term decarbonization goals, capital markets are increasingly recognizing that opportunity extends beyond solar and wind.
Artificial intelligence has triggered one of the most aggressive capital expenditure cycles in modern technology history. From hyperscale cloud providers to semiconductor manufacturers, companies are deploying unprecedented capital into AI infrastructure.
After several years of elevated interest rates, tightening liquidity, and inflation-driven uncertainty, 2026 is shaping up to be a pivotal year for monetary policy. The key question is no longer whether rates are “high” — but how central banks adapt from here.
The CME Group, which operates the COMEX futures exchange where much of the world’s gold is traded, has raised margin requirements for gold futures contracts. Under the new rules, the initial margin for gold contracts under a non-heightened risk profile has been increased to 8 % of the contract’s value, up from 6 % previously. For positions under a heightened risk profile, margins have increased to 8.8 % from 6.6 %.
Canada is entering a period where households feel increasingly squeezed, even though headline inflation appears to be moderating. The combination of lingering core inflation, a fragile economic backdrop, and shifting U.S. policies is creating a complex environment where everyday costs continue to climb faster than incomes. Understanding this landscape requires examining both domestic factors and the powerful spillover effects from the United States — Canada’s largest trading partner and the most influential external force on its economic conditions.
The return of President Donald Trump in January 2025 has triggered a significant recalibration of global trade. The administration’s sweeping tariff program, termination of key bilateral agreements, and more assertive economic policy stance have begun to reshape supply chains across North America, Europe, and Asia.