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Rising tariff expenses are beginning to weigh heavily on U.S. companies, prompting executives across multiple industries to warn that profit margins may tighten in the months ahead. Many firms had initially suggested they could manage the added costs through efficiency improvements or selective price increases, but that confidence is fading as import-related expenses continue to climb. Companies that rely on global supply chains are feeling the strain most acutely. Higher costs on imported materials and components are forcing difficult decisions: pass the increases on to consumers, risking weaker demand, or absorb the costs internally, which directly erodes profitability. For many businesses, neither option is attractive. Consumer-facing brands are finding it especially challenging to raise prices further, as shoppers show growing sensitivity to even modest increases. This resistance limits the ability of firms to offset tariff-driven expenses, creating a squeeze that is beginning t...

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Toronto housing market cools down as prices fall for fourth month in a row

 


The Toronto housing market showed signs of slowing down in November, as home sales rose slightly but prices continued to decline for the fourth consecutive month. 

According to the Toronto Regional Real Estate Board, the average selling price for all home types in the Greater Toronto Area was $1,051,000 in November, down 0.6 per cent from October and 5.3 per cent from July, when it reached a record high of $1,108,000. 

The number of home sales increased by 2.1 per cent month-over-month and 13.5 per cent year-over-year, reaching 8,766 transactions in November. However, the sales growth was mainly driven by low-rise segments such as detached and semi-detached houses, while condo sales declined by 8.8 per cent from October and 2.4 per cent from November 2020. 

The board attributed the cooling of the market to a combination of factors, including the end of the pandemic-induced surge in demand, the increase in new listings, the tightening of mortgage rules, and the anticipation of higher interest rates. “The GTA housing market has moved to a more balanced position compared to earlier this year and last year,” said TRREB president Kevin Crigger in a statement. “This could mark the start of a period of more moderate price growth, which would be healthy and sustainable over the long term.”

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