Five things to watch for in the Canadian business world in the coming week:
Trade report
International merchandise trade numbers for January are expected from Statistics Canada on Tuesday. Canada posted a deficit of $137 million for December as imports rose 3.7 per cent and exports fell 0.9 per cent.
Banking conference
RBC Capital Markets holds its global financial institutions conference on Tuesday and Wednesday. The conference, which is expected to hear from top executives from Canada’s big banks and other companies, follows the Bank of Canada’s first interest rate hike in two years in its bid to bring inflation back under control.
Linamar results
Auto parts company Linamar Corp. will release its fourth-quarter results after the close of markets on Wednesday and hold a conference call with financial analysts. The company said in January that supply chain and labour availability constraints had deteriorated, hurting both revenue and margins.
Jobs report
Statistics Canada will release its jobs report for February on Friday. The agency reported the economy lost 200,000 jobs in January, as public health restrictions cut capacity limits or forced closures for businesses such as restaurants, bars, concert halls and gyms.
Household debt
Statistics Canada will publish its latest reading on household debt on Friday as part of its fourth-quarter report on the national balance sheet and financial flow accounts. The report includes the much-watched household-debt-to-income ratio that measures how much Canadians owe relative to their income.
The Canadian Press
