Thursday, July 9, 2026 Every July, a wave of federal benefit payments resets for the new benefit year — and 2026 brings one of the biggest shifts in years. Between a permanent 25% boost to the old GST/HST credit, a fresh Canada Child Benefit increase, and the largest quarterly OAS bump of the year, millions of Canadian households will see different numbers land in their accounts this month. Here's what actually changed, and what to check in your own CRA account. The GST/HST Credit Has a New Name — and a Bigger Payout The GST/HST credit has officially been replaced by the Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit (CGEB) . It's not a new program from scratch — it runs on the same CRA infrastructure and eligibility rules — but the payment amounts are 25% higher, and that increase is locked in for five years. The first CGEB payment went out on July 3, 2026. Under the new structure: A single individual with no children can receive up to roughly $679 per year (about $170 per quart...
Stock Market Today: Investors Weigh Earnings and Trump's Stance on China
US stock futures struggled on Friday to pick up on the recent rally as investors filtered through the latest batch of earnings and weighed Donald Trump's hints at a softer stance on China tariffs. Dow Jones Industrial Average futures (YM=F) fell almost 0.3%, while S&P 500 futures (ES=F) nudged below the flat line after the index hit its first record high of 2025 on Thursday. Contracts on the tech-heavy Nasdaq 100 (NQ=F) were also little changed.
President Trump's call at Davos for cuts to US interest rates, oil prices, and taxes spurred investor optimism for his policies, buoying stocks. The major gauges are set to end the holiday-shortened week with gains above 2%, demonstrating the power of Trump's comments even as Wall Street questions his ability to order the changes. On Thursday, Trump said he'd "rather not" impose tariffs on China — a softening in stance that eased some fears over the potential for trade war. Chinese stocks (000300.SS) rose after the remarks in a Fox interview.
Spirits are also getting a boost from a strong start to earnings season, with Verizon (VZ) and American Express (AXP) on Friday's docket. But a key test is looming with Big Tech's big players set to report results next week. Meanwhile, Boeing (BA) shares slipped after the jet maker said it expects to book a $3.5 billion quarterly loss thanks to strikes and layoffs. Elsewhere in markets, oil (CL=F, BZ=F) prices gained on Thursday, but were still on track for a weekly loss as markets rode the Trump roller-coaster.
Investors were assessing not just the China shift but also the president's demand that OPEC bring down the cost of crude. Gold (GC=F) closed in on a record high as the dollar (DX-Y.NYB) pulled back, making the metal cheaper. Preliminary readings on US manufacturing and services activity in January will shed light on how the economy is faring ahead of the Federal Reserve's policy meeting next week.
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