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Gas Prices Are Finally Falling in Canada — Here's How Much You're Saving and What Comes Next

After weeks of painful price spikes driven by the U.S.-Iran conflict, Canadians are finally catching a break at the pump. The national average gas price dropped to 169.1 cents per litre on Monday, April 20 — down from a peak near 198 cents — as two things happened at once: Iran reopened the Strait of Hormuz to commercial traffic, and Prime Minister Mark Carney's federal fuel excise tax suspension came into effect. National Average 169.1¢/L ▼ Down from ~198¢/L peak Gas savings (excise tax) 10¢/L off gasoline until Sept. 7 Diesel savings 4¢/L off diesel until Sept. 7 WTI Crude (current) ~$87 ▼ Down from $120 peak What just happened — and why Since the U.S.-Iran conflict began in late February, Brent crude surged more than 55%, briefly topping $120 a barrel — the largest oil supply shock in the history of global markets, according to the Interna...

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U.S. Markets Poised for Downturn Amid Fed Rate-Cut Speculation; FedEx Forecasts Worry Investors

 

U.S. stock index futures inched lower on Wednesday as investors took a breather from a rally that was sparked by the Federal Reserve’s likely pivot to a dovish policy, while FedEx tumbled after issuing a grim outlook.

All the three main indexes have advanced over 2% since the Fed’s Dec. 13 verdict where policymakers projected lower policy rates by the end of 2024, with the blue-chips Dow hitting record highs every other day and the S&P 500 within arm’s reach of its highest closing levels since January 2022.

Since then central bank officials have attempted to keep investor euphoria in check, the latest being Chicago Fed President Austan Goolsbee who said further progress on beating back inflation will be the decisive factor in any central bank decision next year to reduce interest rates.

Still, traders expect the Fed to ease credit conditions by over 125 basis points by September next year, with a 71.1% chance that the first 25 basis point cut could come in as early as March.

Meanwhile, FedEx slid 9.9% in trading before the bell after the global delivery firm cut its full-year revenue forecast and reported quarterly profit that fell far short of analysts’ targets, as its largest Express business saw demand from the U.S. Postal Service drop.

The U.S. stock index futures are set for a lower open on Wednesday as investors take a breather from a rally that was sparked by the Federal Reserve’s likely pivot to a dovish policy. The blue-chips Dow has hit record highs every other day and the S&P 500 is within arm’s reach of its highest closing levels since January 2022. However, central bank officials have attempted to keep investor euphoria in check, with further progress on beating back inflation being the decisive factor in any central bank decision next year to reduce interest rates. Meanwhile, FedEx slid 9.9% in trading before the bell after the global delivery firm cut its full-year revenue forecast and reported quarterly profit that fell far short of analysts’ targets, as its largest Express business saw demand from the U.S. Postal Service drop.

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