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The Rate Cuts Are Over — Is a Hike Coming?

  July 23, 2026 Oil shocks, sticky inflation and a technical recession are pulling the Bank of Canada in opposite directions at once. For most of the past two years, the only question about the Bank of Canada was how far and how fast it would cut. The overnight rate fell from 5.00% to 2.25% between June 2024 and October 2025, one of the sharpest easing cycles in the Bank's history, and it has held there through six consecutive decisions since. That story is now over. The question on the table for the rest of 2026 isn't whether the Bank cuts again — it's whether the next move is actually a hike. Two conflicting signals, one Bank The case for staying put — or even cutting — comes from the growth side of the ledger. Statistics Canada data showed the economy contracted in both the fourth quarter of 2025 and the first quarter of 2026, meeting the informal definition of a technical recession. That was enough to have some economists warning the Bank had no room to raise rates at a...

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Global Markets Rebound as Trump Eases Trade Tensions

In a dramatic turn of events, European and Asian stock markets surged following U.S. President Donald Trump's decision to pause steep tariffs on most countries. This move, announced after a period of heightened trade tensions, brought relief to global investors and sparked a rally across major indices.

European markets saw significant gains, with Frankfurt's DAX jumping over 7%, Paris climbing 7.3%, and London's FTSE 100 rising by 5.3%. Asian markets mirrored this optimism, with indices like Japan's Nikkei 225 and South Korea's Kospi posting substantial increases. The pause in tariffs, however, excluded China, which faced an escalation in duties to 125%, intensifying the trade war between the two economic giants.

While the temporary suspension of tariffs has provided a much-needed boost to global markets, analysts caution that uncertainty remains. The baseline 10% tariff on imports persists, and the unpredictability of future trade policies continues to loom over the global economy.

This development underscores the delicate balance between economic diplomacy and market stability, as nations navigate the complexities of international trade in an era of shifting policies.

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