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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: Nasdaq Futures Surge as Investors Await Powell's Remarks

                                     

U.S. stock futures rose on Wednesday, with tech stocks leading the charge towards fresh record highs as investors eagerly await Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell's remarks for clues on future interest rates.

Dow Jones Industrial Average futures climbed 0.5%, or over 200 points, while S&P 500 futures added 0.3% following an all-time closing high. Contracts on the tech-heavy Nasdaq 100 led the way with a 0.7% gain.

Salesforce stock surged around 13% in pre-market trading after the software maker's quarterly revenue beat boosted hopes for its AI products. Shares of Okta and Marvell also jumped amid well-received earnings reports, setting a positive tone for tech stocks.

Investors are keen to hear Powell's speech in New York later today, with growing confidence in a potential December rate cut. Fed officials have signaled support for more easing as they prepare for their final meeting of the year.

A reading on private payrolls in November is also in focus after job openings data suggested the labor market is softening but not too much. The ADP report highlights a busy Wednesday of PMIs and other economic releases, leading into the all-important monthly jobs report on Friday.

Political turmoil in France and South Korea is also on investors' radar, with French lawmakers set to vote on a no-confidence motion and South Korea's president facing impeachment after briefly declaring martial law.


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