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5 Things to Know Today — June 21, 2026

  Whether you're starting your week or wrapping up your weekend, here are the five Canadian money stories shaping your financial picture right now. 1 Canada Is Technically in a Recession — And the Political Fight Is On Canada's GDP contracted 0.1% on an annualized basis in Q1 2026, following a 1% decline in Q4 2025 — two consecutive quarters of negative growth that meet the textbook definition of a technical recession. Prime Minister Mark Carney has called it a "settling-in period" tied to his government's restructuring of the economy in response to the U.S. trade war. Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre has been relentless in his counter-offensive, pointing to rising insolvencies, job losses and food bank usage as proof that the downturn is real, not technical. Many economists, including BMO's chief economist Douglas Porter, have noted that a future revision to Statistics Canada's data could erase the slim 0.1% contraction — meaning this may not ultimate...

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S&P 500 Plummets Amid Weak Jobs Report

 


The S&P 500 experienced its worst jobs day since October 2022, as a weak jobs report fueled concerns about the health of the U.S. economy. The index fell by 1.8%, while the Nasdaq 100 and Russell 2000 also saw significant declines, dropping 2.4% and 3.5% respectively.

The disappointing jobs data has intensified fears that the Federal Reserve’s decision to maintain interest rates at a two-decade high could lead to a more pronounced economic slowdown. This sentiment was echoed by Wall Street giants like Citigroup Inc. and JPMorgan Chase & Co., who are now calling for more aggressive Fed action.

The selloff was further exacerbated by a plunge in key technology companies, with Intel Corp. experiencing a 26% drop due to a grim growth forecast. The volatility index, often referred to as Wall Street’s “fear gauge,” hit its highest level since March 2023.

As traders project that the Fed will cut rates by more than a full percentage point in 2024, the market’s focus has shifted from “when and how much will the Fed ease” to concerns about a potential economic downturn. This shift in sentiment has led to increased volatility and a flight from riskier assets.

The latest jobs figures suggest that the Fed’s policies may be cooling the labor market too much, raising questions about whether the central bank has been too slow to act. As the market grapples with these uncertainties, investors are taking money off the table and booking profits, leading to continued near-term volatility.


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