Canada

Canada is one of the last bubble markets to hit the wall. Buoyed by the commodities boom in the west, Canada looked set to keep on an upward path even while its largest trading partner, the U.S. had already started to see a bust. But,…

For the first time in 9 years, year-on-year prices in Canada are down. With the largest province, Ottawa Ontario, in a recession, it is no wonder that house prices have followed suit. Canadian home prices have started falling, marking the…

Ontario's economy shrank last quarter with GDP adjusted for inflation declining by 0.3%. With the largest economy in Canada in tatters, the mining boom in Alberta and BC is ever more important.From the Globe & Mail:Ontario's economic…

This from the National Post.The note from Blackmont analyst Brad Smith followed news late on Friday that Moody's Investors Service had downgraded XL Capital Assurance. CIBC has exposure to XL Capital since the bond insurer provides it with…

I have been following a story for a few months in the Canadian Press on Transat, a tour operator. I hadn't reported on it until now because they were just bailed out. It seems they have gotten tangled in the ABCP (Asset-Backed Commercial…

The Globe & Mail has a storyline out today that caught my eye. It suggests that Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) would find some god takeover opportunities in the US. While I dismissed a similar storyline regarding UBS in Europe from the…

Canada has experienced a housing boom, not unlike many other English-speaking countries globally. According to the Globe and Mail, housing prices have doubled there nationally in the last 10 years. So, what are the prospects for Canadian…

As I have mentioned in previous posts, the housing bubble was an international phenomenon. As a result, the U.S. subprime meltdown is indeed spreading beyond this limited sector. In the US, expect Alt-A and prime mortgages to feel the…