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Markets Update — Friday, June 26, 2026: Global Tech Sell-Off Rattles Markets as TSX Holds Firm

  Friday, June 26, 2026 — Reporting on confirmed June 25 closing data. Asian and European figures reflect Friday session activity. 🇨🇦 Canada — TSX The S&P/TSX Composite Index closed Thursday at 34,850 , up 0.3% on the day — a relatively resilient showing while Wall Street struggled with a tech-driven selloff. Gains in the financial and mining sectors carried the index. The big Canadian banks were a bright spot: TD Bank added 0.9%, Royal Bank gained 0.4%, and BMO rose 0.9%. On the mining side, Agnico Eagle gained 1.7% as gold prices held near the $4,000 level. Technology names were the drag. Shopify fell 2.6%, Constellation Software lost 3.6%, and Celestica shed 0.7%, tracking the broader global selloff in tech stocks. Still, with Canadian tech making up a far smaller portion of the TSX than it does on U.S. indices, the damage was contained. Investors also parsed Thursday's Bank of Canada Summary of Deliberations, which confirmed policymakers are keeping monetary policy flexi...

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US Economy Adds 175,000 Jobs in April, Unemployment Rate Edges Up


The latest data from the Labor Department reveals that the US economy added 175,000 jobs in April. While this marks a solid gain, it falls short of the 240,000 jobs that economists had anticipated. Here are the key facts and figures:

  1. Job Creation: The US job market has been expanding at a robust pace despite 11 rate hikes from the Federal Reserve aimed at slowing down the economy. In March, the economy added an impressive 315,000 jobs, well above expectations. However, April’s figure of 175,000 indicates a firm slowdown in job growth.

  2. Unemployment Rate: The unemployment rate ticked up slightly to 3.9%, compared to the estimated 3.8%. While this increase is modest, it highlights the ongoing challenges in the labor market.

  3. Wage Gains: Workers’ wage gains continue to outpace inflation, providing some relief amid rising living costs. However, the pace of wage bumps has slowed, which could impact the Federal Reserve’s efforts to manage inflation.

Despite the April slowdown, the US economy has maintained a remarkable streak of 40 consecutive months of employment expansion, making it the fifth longest such period on record. Additionally, the nation’s jobless rate has held below 4% for 26 consecutive months.

Investors are closely monitoring these developments, as any further signs of a slowdown could prompt the central bank to consider a rate cut sooner than expected. For now, markets anticipate the first cut to occur in November or December.

In summary, while the US job market remains resilient, the April report suggests a need for continued vigilance as economic conditions evolve.

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