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5 Things to Know Today: Canada Enters Recession, Oil Slips on Iran Ceasefire Talk

Saturday, May 30, 2026 — Your quick-hit Canadian financial briefing for the day. 1.Canada Officially Meets the Definition of a Technical Recession Statistics Canada confirmed Friday that real GDP contracted 0.1% on an annualized basis in Q1 2026 — following a revised 1.0% drop in Q4 2025 . That's two straight quarters of negative growth, which meets the technical definition of a recession. The miss was a big one: economists had forecast growth of 1.5% . The main culprits were a surge in imports (up 2.9%, largely gold), declining business capital investment (down 0.7% — its fifth consecutive quarterly drop ), and weakness in resource extraction and construction. On a per-capita basis, GDP actually edged up 0.2% as Canada's population shrank for the second quarter in a row. Not everyone is ready to call it a full recession: some economists note that three of the four weak months were isolated, and early April data points to a sharp 0.4% rebound . Still, the numbers ...

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Stock Market Update: S&P 500 Targets 5,000 Amid Earnings Momentum

 

Wall Street is poised to wrap up another week on a positive note, with the S&P 500 aiming for a significant milestone: 5,000 points. If achieved, this would mark the first time the index has closed at such heights. Let’s dive into the key highlights driving the market:

Corporate earnings have been the driving force behind this week’s gains. Notable winners include:

  1. Cloudfare: The cloud services provider surged more than 24% after beating Wall Street’s sales and profit forecasts. Its robust outlook for 2024 propelled the stock to new heights.

  2. Expedia: Despite beating sales and profit targets, the online travel booking company faced a premarket decline of 15.6%. The announcement of CEO Peter Kern’s replacement added to the volatility.

  3. Take-Two Interactive: The publisher of popular video games like “Grand Theft Auto” stumbled, missing sales and profit targets. The company also revised its outlook downward.

Global Market Snapshot

  • Asia: Trading was mixed in Asia due to the Lunar New Year holiday. Tokyo’s market ended slightly higher, touching a 34-year high earlier in the day. The Bank of Japan’s commitment to its monetary policy supported investor sentiment.

  • Europe: Germany’s DAX and France’s CAC 40 remained flat at midday, while Britain’s FTSE 100 ticked up 0.1%.

  • China: Markets in mainland China were closed, and Hong Kong had a half-day session, with the Hang Seng shedding 0.8%. China’s securities regulator took measures to stabilize financial markets.

  • Australia: The S&P/ASX 200 added nearly 0.1%.

Commodities and Currency

  • Crude Oil: Benchmark U.S. crude lost 16 cents to $76.06 a barrel, while Brent crude declined 25 cents to $81.38 a barrel.

  • Currency: The U.S. dollar weakened against the Japanese yen (149.17 JPY) and the euro (1.0789 EUR).

  • Bitcoin: The cryptocurrency surged 4.6%, reaching $47,000 for the first time in nearly two years.

In summary, Wall Street’s upward trajectory continues, fueled by strong earnings reports. As investors keep an eye on the S&P 500’s march toward 5,000, the market remains dynamic and full of opportunities.


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