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Macklem Just Raised the Inflation Alarm: What Monday’s CPI Means for Your Wallet

  Canadian Money Brief  |  Sunday, October 18, 2026  |  Written ahead of Monday’s 8:30 am ET inflation release Bank of Canada Governor Tiff Macklem has just told Canadians what the central bank is about to say on October 28: its inflation forecast is going up, and by a lot. The reason is oil. With the Middle East conflict dragging on, shipments still curtailed and refinery capacity damaged, he said the risk that inflation broadens and lingers has gone up. Speaking to reporters from Bangkok on Saturday, he framed the coming decision as a simple question: will inflation drift back toward 2% on its own, or does the Bank need to raise rates to nudge it there? Monday is the first real clue. Here is what is landing, what economists expect, and what it could mean for your gas bill, your grocery cart, your heating costs and your mortgage. 3.0% August CPI, year over year 3.2% September consensus (Reuters poll) 2.25% BoC policy rate, unchanged for nearly a year Oct 28 Rat...

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Stock Market Today: US Futures Edge Higher as Walmart Surges with Retail Sales, Jobs Data Ahead


Stock futures nudged higher Thursday as Wall Street looked to two key signals of US consumer health, as well as more insight on the jobs market. Here are the highlights:

  1. Futures Performance:

    • Futures tied to the S&P 500 (ES=F) and the tech-heavy Nasdaq (NQ=F) rose 0.1%.
    • Dow Jones Industrial Average futures (YM=F) pointed up 0.2%.
  2. Walmart’s Strong Quarter:

    • Retail giant Walmart (WMT) shares surged nearly 6% after a largely positive earnings report.
    • Walmart posted both earnings and revenue beats and raised its full-year outlook.
  3. Retail Sales Data:

    • Monthly government retail sales data is set for release at 8:30 a.m. ET.
    • Economists expect a 0.3% month-over-month increase in July, an improvement from June’s flat reading.
  4. Jobs Market Update:

    • The weekly jobless claims report is also in focus.
    • Last week, claims fell more than forecast, sparking a market surge.
  5. Market Resilience:

    • Stocks have rebounded in August, with the S&P 500 recouping most of its losses from the earlier sell-off.
    • As inflation eases, the jobs market remains a key focus for the Fed.

Wall Street continues to monitor these indicators closely, shaping market sentiment and investor confidence.


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