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TSX Steadies After Bond Rout | Canadian Money Brief — May 19, 2026

  TSX Steadies After Bond Rout — But Iran Uncertainty Keeps a Lid on Gains Canadian equities attempt a cautious bounce this morning after last week's sharp sell-off. Oil near US$100 props up energy shares, while gold cools in Canadian-dollar terms and the loonie holds a fragile grip at 72–73 cents US. Canadian Money Brief  ·  moneysavings.ca  ·  May 19, 2026 TSX ~34,020 ▲ Recovering CAD/USD $0.727 → Flat WTI Oil ~US$100 ▲ Elevated Gold (CAD) ~$6,243/oz ▼ Pullback BoC Rate On Hold → Patient Overview Canadian markets opened cautiously higher this Tuesday after the S&P/TSX Composite suffered its worst single-session drop in weeks on Friday, closing at 33,833 — a decline of 1.27% — as a global bond-market selloff combined with stalled US–Iran negotiations hammered sentiment. Today's session opened around 34,027 , with the index trading in a tight range of roughly 33,745 to 34,175, suggesting investors are rebuilding positions but remain wary. The dominant story...

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Anticipation and Reaction to Fed’s Rate Decision

 


As investors braced for the U.S. Federal Reserve’s decision, North American stock markets experienced a mixed close. The Fed maintained its key interest rate at 5.25%-5.50%, leaving the future of rate cuts uncertain. Despite this, the S&P 500 and Nasdaq dipped, while the Dow Jones and S&P/TSX Composite saw modest gains.

Fed Chair Jerome Powell’s press conference offered a glimmer of hope as he dismissed the likelihood of an immediate rate hike, causing a surge in market optimism. He acknowledged the persistent issue of inflation but expressed confidence in the progress towards the 2% target.

The labor market showed signs of normalization, with job openings at a three-year low2. Meanwhile, the earnings season is more than halfway through, with a majority of S&P 500 companies surpassing consensus expectations.

In the corporate landscape, AMD’s AI chip sales forecast led to a 9% drop in its shares, while Amazon’s AI-driven cloud growth pushed its stock up by 2.2%. Johnson & Johnson plans to proceed with a multi-billion-dollar lawsuit settlement, and Starbucks faced a significant sales forecast cut.

The energy sector took a hit due to falling oil prices and a potential Middle East ceasefire, while uranium miners saw a boost from a U.S. ban on Russian imports. Canadian manufacturing activity continued to contract, reflecting ongoing economic challenges.

In summary, the market’s response to the Fed’s decision was a complex interplay of anticipation, relief, and sector-specific movements, highlighting the intricate dynamics of financial markets.

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