Canada's Economic Upsurge Surpasses Expectations

Canada's GDP grew by 2.6% in Q4, exceeding predictions. Boosted by consumer spending, business investment, and exports, the economic growth surpasses the expected 1.8%. This follows a rise in retail sales and tax breaks. The BoC reduced interest rates to support growth amidst tariff concerns.

Canada's economy outperformed expectations in the fourth quarter of the year, with a 2.6% annualized growth rate, as revealed by fresh data on Friday. Analysts had predicted a 1.8% increase, aligning with Bank of Canada's prior forecasts. Key drivers of this growth included consumer spending, business investments, and exports.

Revisions in the third quarter's growth rate showed an increase to 2.2% from the initially reported 1%, according to Statistics Canada. The economy also saw a 0.2% expansion in December, aided by retail sales growth and a mid-December sales tax break, countering November's contraction.

The monthly GDP figures, calculated based on industrial output, suggest a 0.3% increase in January. As Canada emerges from last year's economic sluggishness, buoyed by a 200 basis point interest rate reduction, the outlook remains sensitive to U.S. tariffs. Household spending rose 1.4% in Q4, the largest increase since Q2 2022, while residential construction and business investments also surged.

(With inputs from agencies.)