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Judge Halts Retailer’s Bid for Former Hudson’s Bay Space at Yorkdale

Judge blocks department store from moving into former HBC space at Yorkdale mall. A proposed plan to open a new retailer in the former Hudson’s Bay space at Yorkdale Shopping Centre has been stopped by an Ontario judge. The decision blocks a deal that would have transferred the large anchor location to a discount-focused department store operator. The court found that the arrangement did not meet the standards required for such a major tenancy change, supporting Yorkdale’s position that the retailer was not an appropriate fit for the mall’s upscale environment. The ruling ends months of dispute over the future of the vacant three-level space and underscores the challenges malls face as they try to repurpose former department store footprints. Yorkdale, known for its luxury brands and high-end positioning, is now expected to pursue alternatives that better align with its long‑term strategy.

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Inflation Falls in June for First Time Since 2020

A closely-watched report on US inflation revealed that consumer price increases cooled further during the month of June. According to the latest data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Consumer Price Index (CPI) declined by 0.1% over the previous month and increased just 3.0% over the prior year in June. This marks a deceleration from May’s flat month-over-month increase and the 3.3% annual gain in prices. Notably, it’s the first time since May 2020 that monthly headline CPI came in below 0%.

On a “core” basis, which excludes the more volatile costs of food and gas, prices in June climbed 0.1% over the prior month and 3.3% over last year—cooler than May’s data. Economists had expected a 0.2% monthly uptick in core prices and a 3.4% year-over-year increase.

The markets responded to this report, with the 10-year Treasury yield falling about 9 basis points to trade around 4.2%. While inflation has remained stubbornly above the Federal Reserve’s 2% target on an annual basis, recent economic data suggests that the central bank may consider cutting rates sooner than later. Markets are now pricing in a roughly 87% chance that the Federal Reserve will begin rate cuts at its September meeting.

This data adds to other rate cut signals across the labor market and economy. The labor market added 206,000 nonfarm payroll jobs last month, ahead of economists’ expectations. However, the unemployment rate unexpectedly rose to 4.1%, the highest reading in almost three years.

Notably, the Fed’s preferred inflation gauge—the core PCE price index—showed inflation easing in May, with a year-over-year change of 2.6%, in line with estimates and the slowest annual gain in more than three years.


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