Canada’s main stock index rose on Tuesday, driven by rate-sensitive technology and utility stocks as U.S. Treasury yields slipped, while investors awaited key monetary policy decisions from the Bank of Canada(BoC) later in the week.
At 10:50 a.m. ET, the Toronto Stock Exchange’s S&P/TSX composite index was up 91 points, or 0.48%, at 19,137.74.
Technology stocks and utilities stocks rose more than 1% each as U.S. Treasury yields slipped.
Longer-dated yields paused for a breath on Tuesday at 4.8780% after rising above the 5% mark in the previous session.
Bond yields move inversely to prices.
However, energy stocks slipped 0.1% as oil prices slipped on a flurry of economic data from Germany, the wider eurozone and Britain sketched a bearish picture that could weigh on demand amid escalating tensions in the Middle East.
Investor focus is now turning to BoC’s interest rate decision on Wednesday. Analysts expect BoC will keep interest rates unchanged at 5.0% on Wednesday, though with inflation hovering well above its 2% target, many see the central bank indicating future hikes are still possible.
Last week, economists polled by Reuters said that the central bank is probably done raising interest rates for now and will hold them at 5.00% for at least six months.
“Economic data - whether it be retail sales, stresses on the Canadian consumer with respect to housing costs, in particular, mortgage costs - will allow for the BoC to basically, pause and, in fact, end interest rate hikes,” said Philip Petursson chief investment strategist at IG Wealth Management.
Canada’s annual inflation rate unexpectedly slowed to 3.8% in September, and underlying core measures also eased, data showed last week.
Money markets are betting on an 85% chance for the central bank to keep rates unchanged on Wednesday.
Among companies, shares of Teck Resources sank 6% after the Canadian miner missed market estimates for third-quarter profit on Tuesday.
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