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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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UK Bonds Experience Worst Start to a Year on Record

 


UK bonds have experienced the worst start to a year on record, following an unexpected surge in inflation. 

The Bloomberg Sterling Aggregate Bond Index is down over 3% this month, more than any other sovereign market. The UK isn’t the only place where investors are rethinking their aggressive bets on interest-rate reductions. Traders in the US and Europe have also moderated their expectations. 

The turbulence in the bond market has brought home how vulnerable markets are. The Bank of England is now caught between a rock and a hard place, as the clear path the market was painting for a steady reduction in interest rates this year may have to be re-visited .


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