Canada cuts interest rates as expected The Bank of Canada is expected to cut rates for the third consecutive time when it makes its interest rate announcement today at 9:45 a.m. ET, as it continues to loosen monetary policy.
Economists widely predict that the central bank will cut interest rates by 25 basis points, which would bring its policy rate to 4.25 per cent. More cuts are expected to come this year.
Although inflation continues to ease, moving closer to the central bank’s target of 2 per cent, concerns about the economy appear to be growing. Preliminary data suggest economic growth in the third quarter is on track to be far below the Bank of Canada’s July forecast. At the same time, Canada’s labour market continues to stall, with the unemployment rate at 6.4 per cent.