GDP – Benefits Canada.com

What role can insurance-linked securities play in pension portfolios?

mschmit — Fri, 23 Oct 2020 03:24:17 +0000

In a market rocked by a considerable increase in cross-asset volatility, the need to search for alternative means of diversification that embrace different sources of risk and return is crucial. One solution for pension plan sponsors to consider is investing in insurance-linked securities. Often a misunderstood and underutilized asset class, insurance-linked securities are investments whose […]

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Economists agree we’re in a recession, but there’s little consensus on why

mschmit — Mon, 31 Aug 2020 04:50:21 +0000

Economists say there is no doubt that Canada is experiencing a recession, but the exact criteria determining one is underway can be fraught with confusion. Broadly speaking, a recession is a period of business contraction where economic activity declines. But what exactly constitutes a decline, and over what time period, is the subject of much […]

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Canadian economy posted record drop in second quarter due to pandemic

mschmit — Mon, 31 Aug 2020 04:13:04 +0000

The Canadian economy suffered its worst three-month stretch on record in the second quarter as the economy came to a near halt in April before starting to recover in May and June. Statistics Canada said Friday real gross domestic product contracted at an annualized rate of 38.7 per cent for the quarter, the worst posting […]

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Survey: Business economists sketch a more hopeful outlook

mschmit — Tue, 28 Jul 2020 04:18:28 +0000

The economic outlook of U.S. business economists has improved over the past three months, though their sunnier view may be jeopardized by the resurgence of the coronavirus. A survey released Monday by the National Association for Business Economics finds a “significant snap-back in expectations from the depths reached across nearly all categories in April,” according […]

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Statistics Canada says economy posted record 11.6 per cent plunge in April

mschmit — Tue, 30 Jun 2020 10:21:11 +0000

Statistics Canada says the economy saw its largest monthly drop on record in April as it came to a near standstill due to the pandemic, but early indications point to a rebound in May as businesses began to reopen. The agency said Tuesday gross domestic product fell 11.6 per cent in April with non-essential businesses […]

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IMF downgrades outlook for global economy in face of virus

mschmit — Wed, 24 Jun 2020 05:49:18 +0000

The International Monetary Fund has sharply lowered its forecast for global growth this year because it envisions far more severe economic damage from the coronavirus than it did just two months ago. The IMF predicts that the global economy will shrink 4.9 per cent this year, significantly worse than the three per cent drop it […]

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Bank of Canada keeps key rate target on hold, expects return to growth in Q3

mschmit — Thu, 04 Jun 2020 04:18:45 +0000

The economy appears to have avoided a worst-case scenario due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Bank of Canada said Wednesday as it kept its key interest rate steady at its lower bound. The bank left its target for the overnight rate unchanged at 0.25 per cent, which it has said is as low as it […]

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Statistics Canada says first quarter GDP worst showing since 2009

mschmit — Mon, 01 Jun 2020 04:48:59 +0000

Canada’s economy had its worst quarterly showing since 2009 through the first three months of 2020 owing to the novel coronavirus, Statistics Canada said Friday, warning an even steeper drop may be coming. Gross domestic product fell at an annualized rate of 8.2 per cent in the first quarter, including a 7.2-per-cent drop in March […]

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Economists agree: No quick rebound from recession is likely

mschmit — Thu, 30 Apr 2020 05:59:23 +0000

Devastated by the coronavirus, the U.S. economy is sinking. And the plunge is accelerating. Now, as some businesses in a few states start to trickle back to work, hopes are beginning to arise that the economy, damaged as it is, might be poised to rebound by the second half of the year. If more employees […]

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Recession may be inevitable, but for how long?

mschmit — Tue, 24 Mar 2020 05:00:03 +0000

Investors and economists around the world are drastically changing their forecasts as the world enters another week of disruption from the spread of the coronavirus. Indeed, Scotiabank’s updated economic forecast suggests recession is inevitable in many countries, with global growth expected to average 1.3 per cent in 2020, the lowest level since the decline of […]

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