Podcasts by The 10-Minute Take
Macroeconomics for everybody! The (new) 10-Minute Take podcast from RBC Economics will explain (in simple terms) what the latest economic data means and why you should care. It's everything you wanted to know but were too shy to ask -- in less than 10 minutes.
Further podcasts by RBC Thought Leadership
Podcast on the topic Wirtschaft
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What surprised economists in 2023? from 2023-12-07T11:00:27
The Canadian economy has seen some pivotal shifts in 2023. The year started off with inflation at multi-decade highs, widespread labour shortages, and exceptionally strong consumer spending. The ec...
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What's going on in the Canadian jobs market? from 2023-11-23T11:00:23
Many indicators these days are pointing to deteriorations in labour market conditions in Canada. Job vacancies are down, job searching time have lengthened. The unemployment rate is still low but h...
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How has soaring immigration impacted economic growth in Canada? from 2023-11-09T11:00:26
This past decade, Canada's population growth outpaced India, China, and South and Central America, surpassing the global average. In recent years, Canada's soaring population growth has been entire...
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How badly are Canadian businesses and consumers wounded by high interest rates? from 2023-10-25T14:30:46
High inflation and even higher interest rates are turning up the heat for Canadians, making it increasingly challenging for consumers and businesses to pay off existing debt, to spend or to invest....
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How long can the U.S. economy’s outperformance last? from 2023-10-12T10:00:38
U.S GDP growth continues to soar while activity cools off in Canada. Canadians have tightened their belts, prioritizing the purchase of essentials over discretionary goods. In the U.S., consumers a...
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Why are so many workers on strike these days? from 2023-09-28T10:00:26
High inflation has prompted many workers to push for wage increases, and unions are responding by pressuring employers to pony up. Canada has witnessed a drastic surge in labour stoppages- or strik...
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How indebted are Canadians and is it a problem? from 2023-09-14T10:00:28
While Americans are still spending, Canadians are tightening their belts. And the U.S. economy continues to surge while Canada's shows early signs of weakness. Why? Debt levels and faster refinanci...
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When China sneezes, do we all catch a cold? from 2023-08-31T10:00:20
Western countries are still grappling with decade-high interest rates and elevated inflation. But in China, prices fell on a year over year basis in July. And amid softer consumer demand and a wobb...
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Are the Bank of Canada's interest rate hikes working? from 2023-08-16T12:29:45
Western central banks don't want to push interest rates higher…but they will if they need to. So how effective have rate hikes actually been? The latest data offers conflicting signals: unemploymen...
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Will the pandemic pet economy boom last? from 2023-08-02T10:00:26
If you have a four-legged friend at home, that makes you part of the pet economy! Today the global pet industry stands at over $250 billion USD and is over twice the size of the global film indust...
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Why aren’t rising rates cooling Canadian spending? from 2023-07-19T10:00:20
The most aggressive monetary tightening cycle since the 1990s has sent interest rates soaring. Yet Canadians keep on spending. Why and will they keep it up? In this week’s episode of the 10-Minute ...
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Will my grocery bills ever get lower? from 2023-07-05T14:43:07
If you’re wondering whether your grocery bills will ever turn out less scary than they are now, we have bad news for you. Food inflation peaked in Canada just this past January. But slowing inflati...
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Interest rates are rising again? from 2023-06-21T10:00:26
The Bank of Canada put the brakes on its record rate hiking cycle in January. Five months later, it sprang back into action—surprising much of Bay Street with a 25 basis point increase. What drove ...
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What will this year's summer travel season look like? from 2023-06-07T10:00:24
Anxious to scratch your travel itch this summer but worried about disruptions and high prices? You’re not alone! In this week’s episode of the 10 Minute Take podcast, RBC economists Carrie Freeston...
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What keeps economists up at night? from 2023-05-23T20:16:21
“Allow us to introduce ourselves!” In this episode of the 10 Minute Take, get to know RBC economists Carrie Freestone and Claire Fan. Spend a day in the life of an economist and get our latest hot ...
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Will higher wages arising from labour disputes fire up inflation? from 2023-05-10T10:00:20
Canada's largest public sector strike in decades just ended—with a deal that includes double-digit wage hikes. Will negotiated wage settlements like these undermine the Bank of Canada’s efforts to ...
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If Canadian home prices are falling, why are rents going through the roof? from 2023-04-26T10:00:37
Just as house prices in Canada start to cool off, rent costs are heating up. What's driving the increase? Declining affordability comes to mind as high home prices push more would-be buyers into re...
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How has market turmoil hit the Canadian economy? from 2023-04-12T13:21:10
The failures of SVB and other U.S. regional banks sent markets roiling. But what does this mean for the broader economy? Is it all temporary noise or could it leave longer-lasting scars on financia...
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Will Budget 2023 derail the Bank of Canada's inflation-fighting campaign? from 2023-03-31T10:00:27
The federal budget tabled a buffet of new spending measures. But the price tag was hefty: a $40 billion deficit and no sign of a return to balanced books anytime soon. Is Ottawa spending too much? ...
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What's up with the long lines at my local coffee shop? from 2023-03-15T09:00:10
Why are restaurant reservations so hard to find these days? Labour market tightness--it's something we hear on every corner. But what does it really mean? And how is that relevant to you? Join RBC ...
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Why are groceries so expensive if inflation is moderating? from 2023-03-01T10:00:20
Inflation is down, right? So why is my grocery bill still so high? Recent data showed price growth losing steam…yet everything from coffee to chocolate is still expensive. We'll explain why, and wh...
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The Ten-Minute Take (Trailer) from 2023-03-01T02:21:57
Macroeconomics for everybody! The (new) 10-Minute Take podcast from RBC Economics will explain (in simple terms) what the latest economic data means and why you should care. It's everything you wa...
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Why markets will remain volatile (to a degree) through the U.S. election from 2020-10-07T11:15:25
Global markets have been bouncing up and down since President Trump announced he tested positive for COVID-19 last week. Add to this the on-again, off-again stimulus talks ahead of the already-cont...
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Why the airline industry is bracing for more turbulence from 2020-09-30T10:51:55
If you felt your travel plans were disappointing this summer, spare a thought for the airline industry. Border restrictions, travel advisories, mandatory self-quarantine… policies that are critical...
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How the Throne Speech can help Canada's recovery from 2020-09-23T11:10:45
In today's Speech from the Throne, the Governor General is expected to lay out the government's vision for the pandemic recovery. It won’t be easy, with COVID-19 cases on the rise and investor conf...
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How the crises of 2020 have focused investors on ESG from 2020-09-16T09:40:20
2020 brought us a pandemic and a boiling point in protests over racial inequities - and investors took notice. It's why the market has seen record flows into ESG - or, environmental, social, and go...
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Why tech has staying power, despite market sell-off from 2020-09-09T10:48:21
To many observers, last week's dramatic sell-off of tech stocks was inevitable, especially given how fast they climbed since the March low. But the appeal of tech won't fade anytime soon. The pande...
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How the U.S. Fed’s landmark policy shift goes beyond inflation from 2020-09-02T10:00:27
Wyoming’s state motto, “Equal Rights,” might have hinted at the U.S. Fed’s new monetary policy strategy that was revealed at this year’s (virtual) Jackson Hole Economic Symposium. Chairman Jerome P...
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How Apple became the most valuable public company in the world from 2020-08-19T10:48:07
Apple is within striking distance of a historic USD$2 trillion valuation, buoyed by a loyal customer base and our collective dependence on smartphones. Even amid a global pandemic, the company has ...
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How COVID created a supercharged summer housing market from 2020-08-12T10:50:36
Across Canada, the housing market rebounded as pent-up demand pumped up sales volumes and prices in June and July. Montreal, for example, set a new record – 46% jump in year-over-year sales. The pa...
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Why the post-pandemic office building will be greener and costlier from 2020-08-05T04:16:41
When we (eventually) return to the office, it will look and feel very different. Picture screening technologies, touchless credentials, roomy elevators. Imagine breathing cleaner air. Of course, al...
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Why markets are edging higher in spite of cautious corporates from 2020-07-22T10:00:29
As we head into a pivotal period of the current earnings season, tech stocks have buoyed key Wall Street indices – Nasdaq, for one, briefly hit another record high earlier this week. But what's on ...
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U.S. oil demand sputters as lockdowns tighten from 2020-07-15T10:46:56
Four months into the COVID pandemic and some Americans have hit lockdown fatigue, if traffic data is any indication. Take Las Vegas, which has seen flight activity increase steadily over the last s...
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Canada's fiscal snapshot – massive deficit, record federal debt from 2020-07-08T22:25:15
The COVID crisis delivered a bigger shock to our economy than most expected. Ottawa is forecasting an enormous $343 billion deficit in 2020, which pushes the federal debt load past the $1 trillion ...
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Can U.S. markets stay up while summer shutdowns expand? from 2020-07-06T10:00:11
The U.S. gained nearly 5 million jobs in June, but that was before the latest COVID-19 outbreaks. Now, state re-opening plans are being put on hold, if not dialed back – with almost certain economi...
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How streaming platforms are winning through crisis from 2020-06-29T10:00:22
If content is king, then streaming platforms are its thrones. And those thrones are getting higher and higher as consumers cut the cord with traditional media providers. Audiences have been seeking...
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How the crisis became prime time for Amazon from 2020-06-26T10:00:35
While most people have been under lockdowns, The Everything Store has been everywhere. The explosive demand for online shopping and surge in remote work have been boons for both Amazon's core retai...
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A cloudy outlook for young job seekers from 2020-06-24T10:00:12
The COVID-19 crisis dealt employees a serious blow, and young people have been hit particularly hard with a nearly 30% unemployment rate. The summer months – crucial for internships, seasonal, and ...
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Canada’s provinces are turning the corner on their road to recovery from 2020-06-22T12:54:31
Last week, Saskatchewan, PEI, and Quebec gave updates on their economic and fiscal situation. They weren't pretty, but there's been enough of a boost in activity that RBC Economics has adjusted its...
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Work 2.0: How tech is catalyzing the “remote first"workplace from 2020-06-19T10:44:31
Practically overnight, legions of office workers shifted to working from home as their employers figure out how to keep them productive. That meant installing (or improving) video conferencing tool...
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A path to 5G for Canadian telcos from 2020-06-17T10:00:24
Canada's major telecom operators are forging ahead with their plans to build 5G networks, despite government delays on the decision to allow Huawei to bid and the 3,500 Mhz wireless spectrum auctio...
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Corporate America's moment of truth on racism from 2020-06-15T12:17:45
Ongoing protests against racism and violence towards Black communities have hit a boiling point, forcing companies everywhere to re-examine their practices and histories. In addition to questions a...
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How renewed COVID fears rattled stock markets from 2020-06-11T21:16:20
Global stock markets plunged after the U.S. Federal Reserve issued grim economic projections for the rest of 2020 and beyond. Budding investor optimism was quickly replaced with the sobering realit...
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The geopolitics of OPEC+ oil cuts from 2020-06-10T11:10:47
The global group of oil producing countries, known as OPEC+, left its key weekend meeting fractured. While OPEC+ agreed to extend production cuts through to July, its de facto leader Saudi Arabia s...
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Can pro sports stage an epic comeback? from 2020-06-08T10:48:04
As the PGA Tour starts up again this week, noticeable changes will include tightened safety measures and the absence of on-site fans – par for the course during a pandemic. Some leagues, like Germa...
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To recover, Canadian tourism needs more Canadians from 2020-06-05T10:54:13
Summer is around the corner, but the forecast for the tourism sector is less-than-sunny. With border and travel restrictions still in place (even between provinces), families wishing to travel have...
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A U-turn for the auto sector? from 2020-06-03T10:39:55
In a bygone era, the Sharing Economy had spelled out the death of the personal car – why have your own vehicle when you could just hail an Uber or Lyft? But the auto sector might see some green lig...
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How the lockdown may hamper Canada's immigrant-fueled growth from 2020-06-01T20:37:28
2020 was supposed to be a record year for newcomers to Canada – what the country needed to offset an aging population. But then COVID happened. The lockdown, of course, didn't only restrict the mov...
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How COVID is heralding a new era in healthcare from 2020-05-29T10:45:07
Before the pandemic, the challenges plaguing U.S. healthcare seemed insurmountable. Think onerous regulations, outdated processes, and high prices. But the dark clouds of the crisis are bringing si...
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How Maslow's Hierarchy can explain pandemic spending from 2020-05-25T20:46:49
The start of the COVID crisis might forever be associated with a toilet paper shortage as people went into survival mode and stocked up on staples. Or, in the language of Maslow's Hierarchy, people...
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What's ahead for the loonie from 2020-05-22T10:00:33
The loonie has defied expectations during the recent rout in oil markets, hitching its wagon to another driver. Move over crude, hello equities. But the road ahead still has bumps, with implication...
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Why gold is glittering while markets churn from 2020-05-20T10:00:33
Gold prices have surged during the COVID crisis, driven by low rates and aggressive policy measures to stimulate the economy and investors looking to hedge risks in the market – which explains why ...
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Quebec's long haul recovery from 2020-05-14T12:20:38
The COVID-19 crisis has hit Québec especially hard. The province is dealing with the highest number of cases in the country in parallel with one of the worst economic impacts. In fact, more jobs we...
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Alberta's slow and protracted recovery from 2020-05-14T10:00:23
"Double-whammy"might be an understatement for what's happening with Alberta's economy. The twin shocks of oil prices and COVID-19 resulted in job losses in March and April that were worse than the ...
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Manitoba, Saskatchewan to see modest recoveries from 2020-05-14T10:00:23
The economies of two of the Prairie Provinces have been relatively shielded from the COVID-19 damage, at least compared to the rest of the country, given their shorter lockdowns. However, they face...
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Cautious re-opening sets the stage for Ontario's recovery from 2020-05-14T10:00:23
The COVID-19 crisis pummeled Ontario's economy and forced more than 1 million people out of a job over the past two months. While the province has avoided the worst scenarios, the government isn't ...
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Mixed economic outlooks across Atlantic Canada from 2020-05-14T10:00:23
The Atlantic Provinces faced blows of differing magnitudes to their economies in March and April. Newfoundland and Labrador had the double-whammy of the COVID-19 crisis plus a collapse in oil price...
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Positive signs for British Columbia's recovery from 2020-05-14T10:00:13
While B.C.'s forecasted GDP decline of 5% for 2020 is the worst ever in the province, it's better relative to more than -7% across Canada. That's encouraging news, especially as the province forges...
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Can business stimulus hasten the"swoosh"recovery? from 2020-05-13T10:00:33
Hopes for a V-shaped recovery – a short, sharp collapse followed by a bounce-back to pre-crisis activity – have been replaced by expectations of a “swoosh.” That is, a large drop followed by a slow...
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What a market recovery can look like from 2020-05-11T10:15:20
The U.S. equities market has rebounded upwards of 30% from its low in March, driven by plenty of good news and investor optimism. But the road ahead is full of curves and unknowns that could slow t...
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China's economic recovery still a long way off, despite official reports from 2020-05-08T10:39:14
China has touted economic re-opening as the central government's triumph over the COVID-19 virus. But though firms are back to work and factories are up and running, growth hasn't recovered. In fac...
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What we can learn from Australia’s approach to the crisis from 2020-05-04T10:00:24
Australia is flattening the curve of COVID-19 and moving to reopen its economy—slowly. Thanks to a focus on testing and tracing, authorities are gaining confidence to start easing restrictions, but...
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May Day for commercial retail real estate from 2020-05-01T11:00:58
Commercial rent relief programs could not come soon enough. Small businesses, including retailers, struggling to make rent during the crisis months have been handed a lifeline. But will rent relief...
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How oil producers can help resolve their own crisis from 2020-04-29T10:00:28
North American producers have struggled to match the historic collapse in demand. One option is “shut and swap” – an idea that would see governments buy future production so oil companies can “smoo...
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Why the world’s biggest banks are relatively stable in this crisis – so far from 2020-04-27T10:00:48
The big U.S. banks have set aside massive loan loss provisions as they prepare for the worst of the COVID crisis. European banks begin to report earnings this week and are expected to do the same. ...
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Why ESG is outperforming the market from 2020-04-22T10:41:34
On the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, sustainability may seem like the last thing on a troubled market’s mind. And yet, through the crisis, ESG-focussed investments have outperformed the market, an...
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What the collapse of crude prices means for the oil market from 2020-04-21T00:18:32
For the first time, the price of West Texas Intermediate on futures markets plunged into negative territory. It’s the market sending oil producers a message: “We’re awash in oil. Please shut in pro...
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How COVID-19 is affecting investment strategies from 2020-04-17T20:06:19
The global pandemic has roiled financial markets and changed the game for investors. For the past several weeks, investors have been tested on multiple fronts: lower risk premiums thanks to unprece...
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Quiet resilience in Canada's housing markets from 2020-04-16T01:16:22
Wednesday saw the release of startling economic numbers, particularly Canada's GDP down 9% for March. That's not the only figure in decline - national home sales are also down 14%. Prices, however,...
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How Big Tech is using a downturn to its advantage from 2020-04-14T15:15:23
Amazon’s stock surged this week, hitting a new all-time high on Tuesday. The latest spark: Online shopping for basics like groceries is so intense that Amazon announced plans to hire 75,000 more wo...
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A downturn like no other from 2020-04-09T13:22:13
This may be the darkest quarter on record for the Canadian economy. Our consumer-driven economy could make a rebuild even tougher, as we all tend to our wounds and avoid public places for months to...
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How Donald Trump's Fed became the world's central bank from 2020-04-08T21:48:38
Global markets have rarely seen the volatility they endured in March, but in recent days a degree of calm has returned. One big reason is the Fed's quiet role in extending liquidity lifelines to co...
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A COVID cure? Watch for wishful thinking from 2020-04-06T22:37:39
The race is on for vaccines and treatments for COVID-19. Brian Abrahams, RBC’s Co-Head of Biotechnology Research, has some hope based on what he’s seeing but cautions we’re “in the early innings.” ...
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Health crisis, yes; debt crisis, no from 2020-04-03T21:04:29
The explosion of fiscal spending plans in recent weeks will lead to more public debt than many thought imaginable just a few weeks ago. The U.S. government will need to borrow $2 to $4 trillion jus...
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The Eurozone’s next crisis from 2020-04-01T21:00:27
Good news, the rate of growth of new COVID-19 cases in Europe appears to be slowing. Bad news, the economic cost is just beginning to hit home. With a deep and broad recession underway, the eurozon...
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"Market bottoms take time to form" from 2020-03-30T22:41:43
The past week saw four big up days for equities, and that tells Lori Calvasina that we haven’t seen enough capitulation to signal a new bull run. She believes more lows may lie ahead. As Head of U....
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Canada’s two-fisted punch from 2020-03-27T21:31:31
Canada struck back with a two-fisted punch to send monetary and fiscal confidence to the economy. The Bank of Canada not only cut rates; it embraced quantitative easing, to buy bonds and other fina...
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King dollar steps back from 2020-03-26T22:53:52
While stocks have been surging, the US dollar has been on a week-long slide. The correction comes after an extraordinary run-up in the dollar in early March, when investors fled to the greenback’s ...
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Can Trump bring peace to the oil war? from 2020-03-25T22:17:55
Donald Trump is using every diplomatic tool to stop the oil war unleashed by Russia and Saudi Arabia, betting that neither can sustain themselves for long at $25 a barrel. But the Russians may be b...
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This is the Backfill from 2020-03-24T23:03:46
Washington seems to finally have bipartisan agreement for a $2-trillion stimulus package. Tom Porcelli, RBC Capital Markets Chief U.S. Economist, says it’s enough to “backfill” the U.S. economy unt...
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Have Markets Found a Bottom? from 2020-03-23T23:15:51
After one month of declines, 10,000 points off the Dow and a lot of “announcement indigestion,” RBC’s Chief Economist Craig Wright says markets are still searching for a bottom. They’re unsure of h...
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