Scotiabank Market Points

In Canada, the Federal government continues to put the full weight of its financial powers into the fight against the economic turmoil caused by COVID-19. But have these programs performed as advertised, in providing Canadians and Canadian businesses the support they desperately need? Effectiveness aside, the question remains, can we afford this? In this episode of Market Points, Rebekah Young, Director, Fiscal and Provincial Economics at Scotiabank, provides her perspective on Canada’s financial position and sheds light on the question of affordability.

In June of 2020, Brexit has lost most, if not all, of its headline attention in North America. But if the UK and the EU cannot agree to new trade terms by the end of this year, Britain will be faced with serious economic consequences. In this episode of Market Points, Juan Manuel Herrera, Currency Strategist at Scotiabank, breaks down the current state of trade negotiations and explains how Brexit may diminish London’s position and power as a global financial centre.

Latin America is a massive, culturally diverse region under significant stress as Brazil becomes the new epicentre of the COVID-19 pandemic, frustrating near-term re-opening plans. To compound regional challenges, the retail sector across Latam lacks the e-commerce maturity of other markets, historically tied to consumers' reliance on cash. But rapid change is on its way. In this episode of Market Points, Rodrigo Echagaray, Managing Director and Head of Latin American Equity Research at Scotiabank, discusses the regional reshaping of retail.

When Amazon entered the marketplace, it triggered a retail revolution. The convenience factor has quickly become a necessity for many consumers – and the lasting impact on consumer behaviour will most certainly be significant. But right now, retail is reeling with an unprecedented retraction in sales, big name bankruptcies, and mounting unemployment. In this episode of Market Points, Patricia Baker, Director, Retailing, Global Equity Research at Scotiabank, brings us up to speed with the current conditions and shares her thoughts on how shopping has changed forever.

Equity markets stormed back despite very frightening economic numbers. How has the Canadian dollar behaved alongside this market optimism? And with continued fiscal and monetary stimulus, fears of inflation have re-emerged. Meanwhile, incoming Bank of Canada governor, Tiff Macklem, has not ruled out negative interest rates. In this episode of Market Points, Shaun Osborne, Managing Director and Chief Currency Strategist at Scotiabank, shares his expectations for the Canadian dollar and explains why inflationary fears may be overblown.

The global economy has slowly started to reopen. As the world attempts an apprehensive return to normal, if there is such a thing, how well positioned are Latin American countries for recovery? And what does a strong Latin America mean for Canada? In this episode of Market Points, Brett House, Vice President and Deputy Chief Economist at Scotiabank, discusses Latam in a global context and explains why international relations are more important than ever.

China appears to be at the beginning of a recovery while the world’s largest economy, the United States, is still reeling from the effects of COVID-19. Emerging market economies around the globe rely heavily on the health of these two giants for trade and investment. But which countries are exposed to greater risk due to additional domestic weakness? Which nations could recover ahead of us all? In this episode of Market Points, Bertha Arroyo, Associate Director, FX Trader at Scotiabank, shares an update on the opportunities and threats facing the emerging market economies in Asia and Latin America.

The Q1 numbers on the Canadian economy are in, and the hit we’ve taken has been massive. On April 15th, the Bank of Canada announced a new round of stimulus measures designed to minimize the damage caused by the COVID-19 crisis. By taking a page out of the Fed playbook, the Bank of Canada is reluctant to talk forecasting, citing uncertainty surrounding the situation we find ourselves in. But if we don’t understand how deep the hole might be, is there a downside to these unprecedented fiscal and monetary measures? In this episode of Market Points, Derek Holt, Vice President and Head, Capital Markets Economics at Scotiabank, shares his thoughts on the rough economic road ahead.

If the COVID-19 pandemic is an economic war, fiscal and monetary policy form critical components in the battle plan. A country’s success certainly depends on the size of their war chest, but more importantly, its their willingness to use it. Their speed of deployment, and their ability to coordinate efforts across various levels of government, that will ultimately determine the effectiveness of any policy. But as countries concentrate their efforts on mitigating domestic damage, cracks begin to form in international relationships. The EU has three of its largest economies – Italy, Spain and France – among the hardest hit regions across the globe. In this episode of Market Points, Juan Manuel Herrera, Currency Strategist at Scotiabank, shares his thoughts on government and central bank policy effectiveness, and winning the fight for our lives and livelihoods.