Skip to main content

Featured

5 Things to Know Today: 68,300 Jobs Lost, Loonie at 18-Month Low, BoC Hike Odds Fade

  CANADIAN MONEY BRIEF | SATURDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2026 Canada's job losses pile up, the loonie slides to an 18-month low and the Bank of Canada's rate-hike case weakens. Here's what matters for your wallet this long weekend. 1 Canada lost 68,300 jobs in September Statistics Canada reported 68,300 fewer jobs in September, far worse than the roughly 9,200 gain economists polled by Reuters expected. The unemployment rate rose to 6.5% from 6.4%. It follows a 41,700 drop in August, which means Canada has now lost a net 41,200 jobs in 2026 (versus a gain of 211,300 at this point last year). Education plus health care and social assistance lost 58,400 jobs, manufacturing fell by 12,700 and youth employment (ages 15 to 24) dropped by 48,000. The participation rate slid to 64.8%, its lowest in 29 years outside the pandemic. What it means for you: Average hourly wages for permanent employees rose 2.3% year over year, which is slower than August inflation of 3.0%. If your pay isn'...

article

S&P/TSX Composite Index Faces Broad-Based Decline Amidst U.S. Market Strength

 

 Canada’s main stock index, the S&P/TSX composite, closed lower on Wednesday in a broad-based decline. The subdued trading session coincided with U.S. markets being closed for the Juneteenth holiday.

The key points are as follows:

  1. Market Performance:

    • The S&P/TSX composite index closed 94.40 points lower at 21,516.90.
    • This decline continues a trend that has seen the TSX index down approximately 4.4% over the last month.
    • In contrast, the S&P 500 in New York has risen by 3.5% during the same period.
  2. Two Markets, Different Trajectories:

    • Michael Currie, senior investment adviser at TD Wealth, highlighted the divergence between U.S. and Canadian markets. While the U.S. market remains strong, Canada’s market has been weakening.
    • Currie stated, “It’s certainly not crashing by any stretch, but the general trend has been negative, and that seems to be more of what’s continuing today.”
  3. Sector Performance:

    • The industrial and health care sectors led the declines, down approximately 0.95% and 1.1%, respectively.
    • Financials were down 0.5%, and energy declined by about 0.2%.
    • The Canadian dollar traded at 72.94 cents US, slightly higher than the previous day.
  4. Bank of Canada’s Decision:

    • The Bank of Canada recently lowered its key rate for the first time in over four years. Deliberations around this decision showed some hesitancy, but markets still anticipate another rate cut in July.
    • There is concern that as rates decrease, the Canadian dollar (the loonie) may weaken against the U.S. dollar.
  5. Commodity Markets:

    • Commodity markets were also closed due to the U.S. holiday.

In summary, while the S&P/TSX composite index experienced a decline, the broader context involves contrasting market trajectories between Canada and the U.S. Investors will closely watch further developments and central bank decisions in the coming weeks.


Comments