Economy

Forecasts continue to fall for 2009 Fallback Image Decorative pattern

Economic Indicators

Forecasts continue to fall for 2009

With another week comes another group of economic forecasts calling for “worse than expected” declines in the both the global and Canadian economies. Given the their reliance on export markets, Canada’s two most populous provinces — Ontario and Quebec — are going to be hit a lot harder than others. Economists continue to trim their […]

By Mark Noble |March 17, 2009

4 min read

A Great Recession, but no Depression: DBRS Fallback Image Decorative pattern

Economic Indicators

A Great Recession, but no Depression: DBRS

Canadians shouldn’t be too quick to think of an early end to the present downturn, says Canadian bond rating agency DBRS. It’s only just begun. “We don’t want to be alarmist, but we do want to highlight why we think this is a very serious recession,” says DBRS co-president Peter Bethlenfalvy. “We’re a small open […]

By Scot Blythe |March 12, 2009

5 min read

Economists ready to write off 2009 Fallback Image Decorative pattern

Economic Indicators

Economists ready to write off 2009

If the bleeding stops before 2010, then 2009 will have been a success according to revised forecasts from economists. Even Jeff Rubin of CIBC World Markets, arguably the most bullish commentator in Canada, is underweighting stocks and moving to defensive positions as the economic crisis deepens. The “real” economy and the stock market do not […]

By Mark Noble |March 11, 2009

4 min read

Global losses estimated at $50 trillion Fallback Image Decorative pattern

Economic Indicators

Global losses estimated at $50 trillion

As the front line of the financial services industry, advisors are well aware that the current investment climate is among the worst in history. Now the data are in to support that. The global financial crisis sparked by interest rate resets in the American sub-prime mortgage market has now burned through $50 trillion U.S. in […]

By Steven Lamb |March 9, 2009

2 min read