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Canada’s Inflation Climbs to 2.4% as Gas Prices Surge to Record High

  Canada’s inflation rate accelerated to 2.4% in March , up from 1.8% in February, as the Iran war triggered the largest monthly gasoline price increase on record . Statistics Canada reported that gas prices surged 21.2% month‑over‑month , a supply‑shock response to Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz and broader Middle East instability.  Energy costs were the dominant driver of March inflation, with overall energy prices rising 3.9% year‑over‑year after a sharp decline the month before. Excluding gasoline, inflation would have eased to 2.2% , highlighting how concentrated the price shock was.  Food inflation offered mixed relief: grocery prices rose 4.4% , while fresh vegetables jumped 7.8% due to difficult growing conditions. Restaurant inflation cooled sharply as last year’s tax‑holiday distortions fell out of the annual comparison.  Economists note that while headline inflation spiked, core measures remained relatively tame , giving the Bank of Canada ro...

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Wall Street drifts lower, dragged down by tech and anxiety over China tariffs

U.S. stock futures declined on Wednesday morning, driven by disappointing earnings reports from major technology companies Alphabet Inc. and Advanced Micro Devices (AMD). As of 7:08 a.m. ET, Dow Jones Industrial Average futures were down 0.1%, S&P 500 futures fell 0.4%, and Nasdaq 100 futures dropped 0.8%.

Alphabet, the parent company of Google, saw its shares fall by 7.1% in premarket trading after reporting mixed results, with weaker-than-expected cloud revenue growth. The company also announced a substantial $75 billion investment in artificial intelligence initiatives.

AMD's stock declined by nearly 10% following its earnings release, which revealed data center revenue below analysts' expectations. CEO Lisa Su projected a 7% decrease in data center sales for the upcoming quarter.

In contrast, Walt Disney Co. shares rose after reporting better-than-expected quarterly revenue and profit, despite a slight decrease in Disney+ subscribers.

Investors are also monitoring ongoing trade tensions, as concerns about prolonged tariffs between the U.S. and China add to market instability. China recently announced tariffs on various U.S. products and initiated an antitrust investigation into Google, with potential similar actions against Apple's App Store.

These developments contribute to a cautious market environment, with investors advised to remain vigilant and consider diversification strategies amid the current volatility.

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