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5 Things to Know Today: Hot U.S. Inflation, BoC Hike Odds, Loonie Slump (Oct. 15)

  Canadian Money Brief | Thursday, October 15, 2026 A hotter-than-expected U.S. inflation print rattled markets Wednesday, just as Canadians wait on their own CPI and a Bank of Canada decision. Here are the five things that matter to your wallet today. 1. Hot U.S. inflation knocks the TSX down 1.1% U.S. consumer prices rose 3.7% in September from a year earlier (up from 3.4% in August), with a 0.6% monthly jump, the biggest in five months; core inflation rose to 2.6% from 2.4%, per the Labor Department. Gasoline jumped 9.1% in the month. CME FedWatch odds of a Fed hike at the Oct. 27-28 meeting roughly doubled but sit near 50-50. The S&P/TSX Composite fell 399.52 points (-1.11%) to 35,584.46 Wednesday, ending a three-day win streak; basic materials sank 4.33%, and all six big banks finished lower. The Nasdaq lost 1.88%. What it means for you: Higher U.S. rates tend to pull Canadian bond yields up too, and that is what fixed mortgage rates follow. If you have a renewal coming,...
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Anticipation and Reaction to Fed’s Rate Decision

 


As investors braced for the U.S. Federal Reserve’s decision, North American stock markets experienced a mixed close. The Fed maintained its key interest rate at 5.25%-5.50%, leaving the future of rate cuts uncertain. Despite this, the S&P 500 and Nasdaq dipped, while the Dow Jones and S&P/TSX Composite saw modest gains.

Fed Chair Jerome Powell’s press conference offered a glimmer of hope as he dismissed the likelihood of an immediate rate hike, causing a surge in market optimism. He acknowledged the persistent issue of inflation but expressed confidence in the progress towards the 2% target.

The labor market showed signs of normalization, with job openings at a three-year low2. Meanwhile, the earnings season is more than halfway through, with a majority of S&P 500 companies surpassing consensus expectations.

In the corporate landscape, AMD’s AI chip sales forecast led to a 9% drop in its shares, while Amazon’s AI-driven cloud growth pushed its stock up by 2.2%. Johnson & Johnson plans to proceed with a multi-billion-dollar lawsuit settlement, and Starbucks faced a significant sales forecast cut.

The energy sector took a hit due to falling oil prices and a potential Middle East ceasefire, while uranium miners saw a boost from a U.S. ban on Russian imports. Canadian manufacturing activity continued to contract, reflecting ongoing economic challenges.

In summary, the market’s response to the Fed’s decision was a complex interplay of anticipation, relief, and sector-specific movements, highlighting the intricate dynamics of financial markets.

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