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BoC Opens the Door to Rate Hikes: What It Means for Your Mortgage

  Published September 4, 2026 The Bank of Canada held its policy rate at 2.25% on September 2 — the seventh straight hold — but Governor Tiff Macklem didn't sound like a central banker done for the year. He told reporters the Bank is "prepared to raise interest rates, and if it takes more than one increase, we're prepared to do that," if inflation stays too high. That's a real shift in tone, and it lands right as a wave of Canadians hit their mortgage renewal date. Here's what changed, who's forecasting what, and what it actually means for your payment. Why the Bank Suddenly Sounds Hawkish Canada's annual inflation rate has climbed to around 3% — a full point above the Bank's 2% target — and the Bank is pointing squarely at energy prices. Oil has stayed elevated because of the Iran conflict and disruption near the Strait of Hormuz, pushing gas prices up and dragging headline CPI with it. Core inflation, which strips out food and energy, is still s...
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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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