Reed Construction Data Chief Economist Alex Carrick discusses current developments in Canada's economic environment. He also shares light-hearted reflections on life and current events.
communities « market insights « notes from alex carrick
Canada’s merchandise trade surplus increased in February 2008 (to nearly $60 billion CDN), while the balance of trade in goods and services in the U.S. deteriorated (to nearly -$750 billion US). The respective trade positions of the two countries are not supposed to be behaving the way they are.
Major merger and acquisition moves in the mining sector will have an impact on commodity prices and on investment decisions around the world. Two of the largest ownership changes ever contemplated are discussed in today's blog entry.
Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) released its March 2008 figure on housing starts in the country today. The national total was 255,000 units, seasonally adjusted at an annual rate. How can Canadian starts stay so high when the U.S. figure has dropped more than 50% since early 2006?
A round of mammoth mergers in the world’s metal markets is currently underway. There are two reasons why this is an important subject for those who are interested in construction: (1) a smaller number of resource owners will upwardly bias commodity prices even further than is presently the case; and (2) investment decisions with respect to future resource projects depend on which companies really own what properties − which comes down to the question, who owns whom?
It has often been said that there are two driving seasons in Canada, winter and construction. To take our minds off current driving conditions, my wife and I started batting around potential names for driving schools that might prepare the next generation for the road hazards ahead. Here are the Top 10 names we came up with.
The March 2008 U.S. employment numbers have been released today by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. How do the latest figures match up against two key benchmark measures?
The March 2008 Canadian employment numbers have just been released by Statistics Canada. How do the latest figures match up against two key benchmark measures?
Capital spending to expand facilities by Canada’s universities has been on a tear over the past several years, mainly due to rapidly growing enrolments by the student population.
Rapid price inflation in China – over 7% in January 2008 − will likely lead to a greater appreciation in the value of the Yuan this year, versus the U.S. dollar, than at any time since a partial float was first permitted in July 2005. The logic for this flows from the close economic ties between the two countries.
The weak U.S. housing market and the high-valued Canadian dollar, to one degree or another, are depressing activity levels in two of Canada’s most important sectors, forestry and manufacturing. This has led to clamours for government assistance, but at least a dozen “painkillers” have already been provided.
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