Economic Indicators

Japan’s crisis energizes commodity markets

Commodity prices have started to shake off the negative impact of Japan’s tragedy as reconstruction efforts get underway, according to a Scotiabank Report. Global energy markets stand to gain as Japan turns to imported liquefied natural gas (LNG) and crude oil to offset the shortfall in its nuclear capacity, the report said. “Re-construction in Japan […]

By Vikram Barhat |March 29, 2011

3 min read

Currency, not credit, the big risk in European bonds

Canadian investors in global bonds should keep an eye on recent events in Europe, but they shouldn’t lose sleep over the U.K. budget or the fall of Portugal’s government, according to fixed income experts. However bond pundits admit that tight fiscal policies are a negative for currencies. “The bad news is that historically when you […]

By Vikram Barhat |March 25, 2011

3 min read

Non-confidence vote a non-event: Industry

There has been a muted response from the Canadian financial services industry to the fall of Harper government as it treats the result of non-confidence vote as a bit of a non-event.

By Vikram Barhat |March 25, 2011

2 min read

Debt troubles rock Iberian Peninsula

Europe’s debt problems took a turn for the worse on Thursday, as the government of Portugal resigned and Spanish banks felt the sting of credit downgrades. The resignation of the Portuguese government pretty much guaranteed that the debt-laden nation will require a bailout from its European Union partners. The country’s 10-year bonds were sold off, […]

By Wire services |March 24, 2011

2 min read