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Surprising spike in consumer prices increases chance for interest rate hike soon
The Canadian Press, On Tuesday April 19, 2011, 10:01 am
By Julian Beltrame, The Canadian Press
OTTAWA - The chances of an early hike to interest rates rose sharply Tuesday after Statistics Canada reported that annual and monthly inflation spiked in March, led by rising food and gasoline prices.
Canada's annual inflation rate, which had been bucking global trends, leaped to 3.3 per cent, with both the annual measure and the monthly uptick rising by 1.1 points.
It was the biggest single-month leap in inflation since September 2008, on the eve of the recession, and was well above the consensus call for a 0.6 per cent gain.
"The Bank of Canada must be feeling a little hot under the collar," said CIBC chief economist Avery Shenfeld. "This is the first time CPI (consumer price index) has breached the BoC's target range since the commodity price spike in late 2008."
The central bank's mandate is to keep inflation within a range of one-to-three per cent and as close to two per cent as possible.
Commodities, especially oil, were a big part of the surprising inflation surge in March, but almost everything was costlier both compared to February and last year.
Statistics Canada said all eight of the major components it tracks were up, including food, which was 3.3 per cent higher than last year.
With drought, storms and other bad weather affecting major global crops such as wheat, coffee, sugar and corn, it's no surprise that the cost of everything from flour to bread, meat and vegetables is rising on store shelves in many parts of the world.
Higher gasoline prices are also making it more expensive to fill your car, but also raising the cost of transporting food to market.
The only good news for the Bank of Canada is that core inflation, which excludes volatile items such as gasoline, remained well-anchored at 1.7 per cent — but even that represents a big jump from February's 0.9 setting.
The only question, said analysts, is whether the one-month surge was a fluke or the start of a trend.
Last week, when the central bank decided to keep its trendsetting interest rate moored at one per cent, it predicted inflation would hit three per cent this spring, then start tailing off.
It is unclear how it will react with its upward range having already been breached a week after it's forecast.
"The (bank) will get one more CPI report before their next interest rate decision on May 31 to assess whether this was a one-off fluke or the start of a new troubling trend," said Douglas Porter of BMO Capital Markets. "Suffice it to say that the Bank won’t be comfortable keeping rates on hold beyond the next meeting if this is not a fluke."
The markets also saw the odds of a May 31 rate hike shortening, and investors bumped up the Canadian dollar by three quarters of a cent to 104.46 cents US in early morning trading.
Energy prices, particularly gasoline, were the main contributors to both the annual inflation gain and the sharp one-month increase in prices.
Gas prices were 18.9 per cent higher in March than a year ago, fuel oil and other fuels surged 31.3 per cent, electricity costs increased by 4.3 per cent, and transportation costs, which have a heavy gasoline component, were up 6.6 per cent.
If energy were taken out of the calculation, inflation would have risen to only 2.4 per cent on an annual basis.
But other items also contributed to the prices jump. In fact, there were few exceptions.
Food prices, which has been rising sharply in the emerging world, increased 3.3 per cent in March as the price for fresh vegetables rose by 18.6 per cent and meat rose by five per cent. The agency said cold weather in Mexico and the southern U.S. was mostly responsible for the price spike for vegetables.
Shelter costs, with the exception of mortgage interest, recreation, household operations, health and personal care, alcohol and tobacco, even clothing and footwear, normally downward contributors to inflation, were all higher in March than last year, although the gains were more modest.
The few decliners were computer equipment and supplies, which were 9.9 per cent lower, video equipment, down 10.4 per cent, along with fresh fruit and natural gas.
Regionally, Nova Scotia had the highest inflation rate of any province in Canada at 3.9 per cent, followed by Ontario at 3.6 per cent and Quebec at 3.3. Annual inflation was lowest in Alberta at two per cent.
The Canadian Press, On Tuesday April 19, 2011, 10:01 am
By Julian Beltrame, The Canadian Press
OTTAWA - The chances of an early hike to interest rates rose sharply Tuesday after Statistics Canada reported that annual and monthly inflation spiked in March, led by rising food and gasoline prices.
Canada's annual inflation rate, which had been bucking global trends, leaped to 3.3 per cent, with both the annual measure and the monthly uptick rising by 1.1 points.
It was the biggest single-month leap in inflation since September 2008, on the eve of the recession, and was well above the consensus call for a 0.6 per cent gain.
"The Bank of Canada must be feeling a little hot under the collar," said CIBC chief economist Avery Shenfeld. "This is the first time CPI (consumer price index) has breached the BoC's target range since the commodity price spike in late 2008."
The central bank's mandate is to keep inflation within a range of one-to-three per cent and as close to two per cent as possible.
Commodities, especially oil, were a big part of the surprising inflation surge in March, but almost everything was costlier both compared to February and last year.
Statistics Canada said all eight of the major components it tracks were up, including food, which was 3.3 per cent higher than last year.
With drought, storms and other bad weather affecting major global crops such as wheat, coffee, sugar and corn, it's no surprise that the cost of everything from flour to bread, meat and vegetables is rising on store shelves in many parts of the world.
Higher gasoline prices are also making it more expensive to fill your car, but also raising the cost of transporting food to market.
The only good news for the Bank of Canada is that core inflation, which excludes volatile items such as gasoline, remained well-anchored at 1.7 per cent — but even that represents a big jump from February's 0.9 setting.
The only question, said analysts, is whether the one-month surge was a fluke or the start of a trend.
Last week, when the central bank decided to keep its trendsetting interest rate moored at one per cent, it predicted inflation would hit three per cent this spring, then start tailing off.
It is unclear how it will react with its upward range having already been breached a week after it's forecast.
"The (bank) will get one more CPI report before their next interest rate decision on May 31 to assess whether this was a one-off fluke or the start of a new troubling trend," said Douglas Porter of BMO Capital Markets. "Suffice it to say that the Bank won’t be comfortable keeping rates on hold beyond the next meeting if this is not a fluke."
The markets also saw the odds of a May 31 rate hike shortening, and investors bumped up the Canadian dollar by three quarters of a cent to 104.46 cents US in early morning trading.
Energy prices, particularly gasoline, were the main contributors to both the annual inflation gain and the sharp one-month increase in prices.
Gas prices were 18.9 per cent higher in March than a year ago, fuel oil and other fuels surged 31.3 per cent, electricity costs increased by 4.3 per cent, and transportation costs, which have a heavy gasoline component, were up 6.6 per cent.
If energy were taken out of the calculation, inflation would have risen to only 2.4 per cent on an annual basis.
But other items also contributed to the prices jump. In fact, there were few exceptions.
Food prices, which has been rising sharply in the emerging world, increased 3.3 per cent in March as the price for fresh vegetables rose by 18.6 per cent and meat rose by five per cent. The agency said cold weather in Mexico and the southern U.S. was mostly responsible for the price spike for vegetables.
Shelter costs, with the exception of mortgage interest, recreation, household operations, health and personal care, alcohol and tobacco, even clothing and footwear, normally downward contributors to inflation, were all higher in March than last year, although the gains were more modest.
The few decliners were computer equipment and supplies, which were 9.9 per cent lower, video equipment, down 10.4 per cent, along with fresh fruit and natural gas.
Regionally, Nova Scotia had the highest inflation rate of any province in Canada at 3.9 per cent, followed by Ontario at 3.6 per cent and Quebec at 3.3. Annual inflation was lowest in Alberta at two per cent.
shemozhuben
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经济学家预测20１２年底利息将升1.75%.坚持ＶＲＭ。。
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Today 30day cashable GIC 1.4%.
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10 years ago my mortgage is 7.5% (5-year term) with 4% cash back. But I reduced it to about 5% in 2 years without any fee.
And then I again changed it to even lower rate ......and then paid off the mortgage...... So, even with 7.5% mortgage rate, the bank may give you some benefits to keep you happy and lower your cost...
