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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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US Dollar Plummets as Federal Reserve Signals Rate Cuts in 2024

 


The US dollar has taken a hit after the Federal Reserve’s latest economic projections indicated that the interest-rate hike cycle has come to an end and lower borrowing costs are coming in 2024 . The Bloomberg Dollar Spot Index fell for a fifth day as fears of a recession and dovish Fed commentary spurred investors to wager the central bank will have to reverse its most aggressive tightening cycle since the 1980s .

The US dollar has fallen to a four-month low after the Federal Reserve’s latest economic projections indicated that the interest-rate hike cycle has come to an end and lower borrowing costs are coming in 2024 . The dollar slid to the weakest level since early August as swap traders ramp up bets the Federal Reserve will cut interest rates as early as May. 

The dollar remains vulnerable until we see a shift in market expectations for the Fed and that may be a 2024 story. With the dollar rally stalled, it will take some firm real sector data to challenge the current dovish Fed narrative.

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