Canada's retail sales shrank by 1.1 per cent in May as consumers curtailed car purchases and spent less at supermarkets, convenience stores and on alcohol, data showed on Thursday.
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Canada’s retail sales shrink as tariffs bite, June expected to improve
Food and beverage saw declines, led declines in beer, wine and liquor sales and declining convenience store transations
Beef demand drives cattle and beef markets higher
The Markets: Feedlot profitability could be challenging by the end of the year
Prices for beef cattle continue to be strong across the beef value chain, although feedlot profitability could be challenging by the end of 2025, analyst Jerry Klassen says.
The economic trouble with Canada
Investing for Fun and Profit: It’s unwise to strictly shop Canadian, when shopping for stocks
It’s important to understand the Canadian market is largely financials, energy and mining, with a smattering of smaller tech companies and industrials. It’s impossible to build a diversified portfolio exclusively on Canadian stocks.
What will a Middle East war do to your costs and prices?
Bonds and Risk: Expect fuel costs to be up, interest costs down
Farmers are caught in a developing cost squeeze. Global oil costs are threatening to balloon from about US$80 today to over US$100 per barrel, which would be a 25 per cent leap. On the other hand, interest rates in the U.S. and Canada are scheduled to decline by as much as 1.5 per cent by […] Read more
Lower feedlot placements support cattle market
Cow-calf producers should think about selling calves in late summer versus fall
During the last week of April, Alberta packers were buying fed cattle on a live basis in the range of $256-$258 per hundredweight delivered, up $18/cwt from three weeks earlier. Alberta fed cattle basis levels have strengthened as market-ready supplies tighten. In Kansas and Texas, live sales, f.o.b. feedlot, were reported at US$182/cwt, down US$3/cwt […] Read more
Cattle herd declines while economy expands
One per cent increase in consumer spending means one per cent increase in beef demand
I often place myself two years in the future, with a view of the past two years. The old saying is that hindsight is 20/20. Well then, place yourself in the future and look backward. If I were giving a cattle market outlook in March 2026, the summary would be the following: During 2024, feeder […] Read more
How did 2023’s economic and market predictions turn out?
Predictions are often made but their accuracy never evaluated, yet this is an important step
For the past seven years in my newsletter, I have made annual “Fearless Predictions.” I also summarize predictions from the investment industry. The last chapter of my book, titled “If I claim to be a wise man…it surely means that I don’t know,” launched my annual prediction exercise, largely to poke fun at the process. […] Read more
Stop blaming the boogeyman
In this column, I’d like to discuss two items, wildfires and economic efficiency, which at first glance appear unrelated, but are they? Once again, climate alarmists are using a truly unfortunate situation for political gain and justification of their anti-oil positions. Admittedly, in Figure 1, the 2023 data looks scary, but the overall graph is […] Read more
Alberta potatoes chip in $2.9 billion for Canadian economy
New report verifies what many in industry suspected
Alberta’s potato industry is making a big impact — not just on that province but the entire country. A new report — dubbed a “landmark study” by the Potato Growers of Alberta — revealed the sector drove a total contribution of $2.87 billion to Canada’s economy in 2022. It also notes the nationwide creation of […] Read more
Federal carbon tax rises despite opposition, pandemic
Ottawa not backing away from scheduled increases
Ottawa — The federal government has pushed ahead with an increase to the carbon tax despite continued calls from the agriculture sector for reprieve from the program. The price on carbon rose from $20 per tonne to $30 per tonne effective April 1. The federal Liberal government is standing firm on its commitment to increase […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
