March 1st 2024

BoC Announcement (Wed):

The consensus expects the BoC to hold its policy interest rate at 5.00%, with analysts projecting the first rate cut will come at the central bank's June confab, according to a poll by Reuters. The survey notes that while inflation has fallen back within the BoC's 1-3% target rate (at 2.9% Y/Y last), policymakers are not yet convinced that high inflation has been resolved yet, particularly as shelter costs remain elevated. BMO said "the risk is the first rate cut will come later than June. If the bank is going to make an error here, it is that they'll keep policy too tight for too long to make sure inflation is headed back towards their target or event lower," adding that "they're also concerned about a renewed pickup in the housing market, and just more recently, they've got the added wrinkle the Canadian dollar has started to weaken again. The Reuters poll added that there was no clear consensus around the number of rate cuts coming this year, but around 70% of the economists surveyed are looking for 100bps of cuts or less.