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Canada’s Inflation Climbs to 2.4% as Gas Prices Surge to Record High

  Canada’s inflation rate accelerated to 2.4% in March , up from 1.8% in February, as the Iran war triggered the largest monthly gasoline price increase on record . Statistics Canada reported that gas prices surged 21.2% month‑over‑month , a supply‑shock response to Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz and broader Middle East instability.  Energy costs were the dominant driver of March inflation, with overall energy prices rising 3.9% year‑over‑year after a sharp decline the month before. Excluding gasoline, inflation would have eased to 2.2% , highlighting how concentrated the price shock was.  Food inflation offered mixed relief: grocery prices rose 4.4% , while fresh vegetables jumped 7.8% due to difficult growing conditions. Restaurant inflation cooled sharply as last year’s tax‑holiday distortions fell out of the annual comparison.  Economists note that while headline inflation spiked, core measures remained relatively tame , giving the Bank of Canada ro...

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Canadian stocks edge higher as oil prices lift energy sector, U.S. markets soar to new highs

 

The S&P/TSX composite index closed up 18.82 points, or 0.09 per cent, at 20,173.35 on Friday, as energy stocks gained 1.6 per cent on higher oil prices. The Canadian dollar traded for 79.69 cents US compared with 79.52 cents US on Thursday.

Meanwhile, U.S. markets rallied to record levels, boosted by strong earnings reports and economic data. The Dow Jones industrial average rose 448.23 points, or 1.3 per cent, to 35,061.55, the S&P 500 index added 48.73 points, or 1.1 per cent, to 4,411.79 and the Nasdaq composite increased 142.13 points, or 0.9 per cent, to 14,836.99.

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