Scotiabank Market Points

On his first day in office, U.S. President Joe Biden cancelled the Keystone XL pipeline project, citing America’s prioritization of a clean energy economy. What does the cancellation mean for Canadian oil, and are oil markets safe from a repeat of 2020? As the global economy strives for a turnaround, our guest on this episode of Market Points, Marc Desormeaux, Senior Economist at Scotiabank, makes...

In the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, Latin America was reeling from high case counts and economic implosion. But as 2020 came to a close, while Canada, the United States, and Europe were struggling – and still are – to contain a second wave, Latin America bounced back, with some economic activity even returning to pre-pandemic levels. Latin America is now poised for serious growth in the ye...

2020 was the most surreal year many of us have ever experienced. Meanwhile, the Canadian dollar seemed to behave normally, which is of course an extremely Canadian thing to do. In 2021, global economies have some heavy lifting ahead, but what should we expect from currencies? In this episode of Market Points, Shaun Osborne, Managing Director and Chief Currency Strategist at Scotiabank, discusses w...

In 2019, on the first anniversary of The Scotiabank Women Initiative, Global Banking and Markets (GBM) launched its dedicated women initiative with bespoke programs focused on career and business acceleration for clients. GBM’s initiative has now reached its own one-year anniversary milestone. A key highlight for clients and colleagues alike has been The Scotiabank Good Corporate Governance Progra...

The Canadian Big Banks provided earnings surprises once again. But given COVID-19’s deep winter wave and an economy that still requires a lot of support, how much longer can they keep this up? In this episode of Market Points, Meny Grauman, Managing Director, Financial Services, Global Equity Research at Scotiabank, talks earnings opportunities and which bank stocks are worth a closer look. Import...

The experience of operating a business during the COVID-19 pandemic has contextualized the meaning of risk for many business owners. Business has always been a risk-reward trade-off, but successful businesses understand which risks are the ones that are worth it: innovative R&D, investing in building inspiring corporate culture, a ground-breaking advertising campaign. And they make a conscious dec...

The investment community has embraced Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) with more and more institutional investors formalizing ESG analysis into their investment thesis. Environmental factors have captured most of the headlines for some time, as nations and corporations have recognized the climate crisis, and have been taking steps to address and reverse negative environmental impacts bef...

Joe Biden was introduced as the President-Elect of the United States this past weekend after major media outlets, as is customary, called the election in his favour. Unsurprisingly, President Trump has failed to concede to date and has continued to push his team to pursue legal action in the hopes of overturning the results, with the general consensus that these efforts will be in vain. The market...

The COVID-19 pandemic rages on. As we enter a second wave, we must learn from our experiences these past few months and do what we humans do best: adapt. Armed with new knowledge, businesses have been meeting the challenge head on and reopening their offices in ways that best serve the needs of their employees and customers. Scotiabank started its learning curve early. As a global bank, it benefit...

LIBOR, the London Interbank Offered Rate, a key set of interest rates linked to hundreds of trillions of dollars of financial contracts and instruments in on its way out. The British Financial Conduct Authority, or FCA, which oversees LIBOR announced that it may be phased out after December 31, 2021, when they will no longer require the banks to provide LIBOR offers. These decisions have deep and...

The Latin American sustainable finance market is teeming with opportunity. As various countries in the region look to fund infrastructure gaps they are turning to the sustainable market for their critical environmental and social projects, which is laying the groundwork for more corporations to access the market. Juan Fullaondo, Managing Director and Head, Debt Capital Markets, Latin America and C...

The banking sector in Canada surprised the street with better than expected Q3 earnings results. But with credit fears still looming, serious uncertainty remains. In this episode of Market Points, Meny Grauman, Managing Director, Financial Services, Global Equity Research at Scotiabank, analyzes the banking sector’s Q3 results and shares some key considerations for investors. Important Disclosures...

Mexico entered the pandemic already in a recession – and economic pressures from COVID-19, such as the severe drop in travel and tourism, have only exacerbated the problem. However, our new global reality has also created opportunities for growth in Mexico. In this episode of Market Points, Francisco Suarez, Director, Global Equity Research at Scotiabank Mexico, discusses pain points and bright sp...

The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the way we conduct business today and will influence the way we conduct business in the future. What has changed, and how can we work to be better prepared? In this episode of Market Points, we present key highlights from a recent webcast hosted by The Scotiabank Women Initiative, Talking Treasury: Funding, Risk Management, and Digital Solutions in a post-pandemi...

While US COVID-19 case numbers have risen drastically over the last few months the US dollar has slid, with the US dollar index off over 10% since its March peak. Typically, in times of global crisis the dollar acts as a safe haven, but there are several forces at play this time around that are contributing to dollar depreciation. In this episode of Market Points, Shaun Osborne, Managing Director...

When was the last time you visited a mall, or went to your office? The health reasons keeping us away are certainly temporary if we look to history. But what about the rapid adoption of technology that has crystallized the effortlessness and affordability of online shopping. Or finding that by working from home, we are not only getting more done but recapturing precious untold hours we used to spe...

Through the COVID-19 pandemic, our homes have been converted into offices, classrooms, and in some cases, recording studios. The housing market has roared back in May and June, but the jury is still out on the long-term effects of the crisis on the Canadian housing stock. In this episode of Market Points, Marc Desormeaux, Senior Economist at Scotiabank, provides the latest numbers and shares his i...

The International Monetary Fund downgraded its forecast for 2020 to a 4.9% retraction in global growth. Coronavirus cases are re-escalating in new areas. Employment numbers continue to slide. Yet, retail sales are improving, and we’ve experienced significant gains in equity markets since the late March lows. So, are things getting better, or worse? Or is it too early to tell? In this episode of Ma...

In Canada, the Federal government continues to put the full weight of its financial powers into the fight against the economic turmoil caused by COVID-19. But have these programs performed as advertised, in providing Canadians and Canadian businesses the support they desperately need? Effectiveness aside, the question remains, can we afford this? In this episode of Market Points, Rebekah Young, Di...

In June of 2020, Brexit has lost most, if not all, of its headline attention in North America. But if the UK and the EU cannot agree to new trade terms by the end of this year, Britain will be faced with serious economic consequences. In this episode of Market Points, Juan Manuel Herrera, Currency Strategist at Scotiabank, breaks down the current state of trade negotiations and explains how Brexit...

Latin America is a massive, culturally diverse region under significant stress as Brazil becomes the new epicentre of the COVID-19 pandemic, frustrating near-term re-opening plans. To compound regional challenges, the retail sector across Latam lacks the e-commerce maturity of other markets, historically tied to consumers' reliance on cash. But rapid change is on its way. In this episode of Market...

When Amazon entered the marketplace, it triggered a retail revolution. The convenience factor has quickly become a necessity for many consumers – and the lasting impact on consumer behaviour will most certainly be significant. But right now, retail is reeling with an unprecedented retraction in sales, big name bankruptcies, and mounting unemployment. In this episode of Market Points, Patricia Bake...

Equity markets stormed back despite very frightening economic numbers. How has the Canadian dollar behaved alongside this market optimism? And with continued fiscal and monetary stimulus, fears of inflation have re-emerged. Meanwhile, incoming Bank of Canada governor, Tiff Macklem, has not ruled out negative interest rates. In this episode of Market Points, Shaun Osborne, Managing Director and Chi...

The global economy has slowly started to reopen. As the world attempts an apprehensive return to normal, if there is such a thing, how well positioned are Latin American countries for recovery? And what does a strong Latin America mean for Canada? In this episode of Market Points, Brett House, Vice President and Deputy Chief Economist at Scotiabank, discusses Latam in a global context and explains...

China appears to be at the beginning of a recovery while the world’s largest economy, the United States, is still reeling from the effects of COVID-19. Emerging market economies around the globe rely heavily on the health of these two giants for trade and investment. But which countries are exposed to greater risk due to additional domestic weakness? Which nations could recover ahead of us all? In...