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Big Bank Earnings Are In: What They Reveal About Your Mortgage Stress

  August 26, 2026 Canada's biggest banks are in the middle of reporting Q3 2026 results, and so far the headline numbers look strong. BMO and Scotiabank both beat analyst estimates this week, and National Bank of Canada reported this morning. RBC, TD, and CIBC follow Thursday, closing out the sector's earnings season. But the number that actually matters to most Canadians isn't profit — it's what the banks are setting aside for loans that might go bad, and what they're saying about who's struggling to keep up. That's where the picture gets more interesting than the headlines suggest. The headline numbers BMO kicked off the week with adjusted profit up 22% year-over-year and return on equity climbing to 14%, with the bank reiterating its target of 15% ROE by the end of fiscal 2027. Scotiabank posted what CEO Scott Thomson called a record quarter: net income of $3 billion, up 21% year-over-year, with adjusted ROE hitting 14.2% — clearing the bank's own med...
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Norway’s $2 Trillion Wealth Fund Cuts Ties with Six Firms over West Bank and Gaza Links

                                A view shows the building of Norway’s central bank (Norges Bank) in Oslo, Norway.

Norway’s sovereign wealth fund — the largest in the world, valued at around $2 trillion — has announced it will exclude six companies connected to activities in the West Bank and Gaza from its portfolio.

The decision follows an ethics review of the fund’s Israeli investments, triggered by reports it had acquired a stake in an Israeli jet engine manufacturer servicing the country’s armed forces. While the fund has not yet named the companies, it confirmed their identities and the reasons for exclusion will be made public once divestment is complete.

The move is part of a broader reshaping of the fund’s holdings in Israel. Since June 30, the number of Israeli companies in its portfolio has dropped from 61 to 38, representing a reduction of 23 firms. This figure will fall further once the latest exclusions are finalized.

Norway’s parliament recently rejected a proposal to divest from all companies operating in the occupied Palestinian territories, but the fund’s ethics council will continue quarterly assessments of Israeli firms. The fund has also ended contracts with three external asset managers who oversaw some of its Israeli investments.

The exclusions underscore the growing role of ethical considerations in the investment strategies of major global funds — and the political sensitivities tied to operations in conflict zones.

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