Month: July 2016
On a hot summer Friday morning, Canadian and U.S. data gatherers posted GDP figures. The numbers look pretty bad and both countries, but fortunately, digging deeper, they were not as bad as at first glance. Canadian GDP Data The May figure for Canadian Gross Domestic Product by Industry posted a decline of 0.6 percent, but…
To the surprise of no one, the Fed once again refrained from raising interest rates even though the U.S. economy has posted surprising strength in recent weeks. Following a very weak jobs report in May, the June figures showed a considerable bounce back. Retail sales and housing activity have also surprised on the high side….
In a surprise move, British Columbia introduced a new 15 percent property transfer tax on foreign real estate buyers in Vancouver on Monday, action intended to calm soaring prices. The new tax would apply to buyers who are neither Canadian citizens, nor permanent residents. The definition of foreign buyer appears to include international students and…