BoC Minutes: Some members were more concerned about downside inflation risks
Source Fxstreet
According to the Bank of Canada's (BoC) minutes from a recent meeting that was released Wednesday, some governing council members were more concerned about downside risks to inflation.
Key quotes
- Some Governing Council members were more concerned about downside risks to inflation.
- Concern about downside risks was linked to the potential further weakening of the economy and labor market.
- Other members took the view that risks to the inflation outlook were balanced.
- Members discussed whether weakness in Canadian consumption and housing could partly be due to caution on the part of households.
- Members felt consumers could be waiting for lower rates to make large purchases or enter the housing market.
- Discussed scenario where the economy could weaken and it might be appropriate to speed the pace of cuts.
- Labor market softening, wage growth still elevated.
- Housing market subdued.
- No pre-determined path for rates, decisions to be made meeting-by-meeting.
- Council puzzled by successive upside surprises in US household spending.
- Felt low US saving rate was a possible indicator of weakness going forward.
- In China, continued weakness in domestic demand had increased the downside risk to the growth outlook.
- The Bank of Canada cut rates by 25 bps at the meeting.
- Macklem signalled a willingness to cut more-quickly after the decision.
Market reaction to the BoC Minutes
At the time of writing, USD/CAD was up 0.06% on the day at 1.3612.
Bank of Canada FAQs
The Bank of Canada (BoC), based in Ottawa, is the institution that sets interest rates and manages monetary policy for Canada. It does so at eight scheduled meetings a year and ad hoc emergency meetings that are held as required. The BoC primary mandate is to maintain price stability, which means keeping inflation at between 1-3%. Its main tool for achieving this is by raising or lowering interest rates. Relatively high interest rates will usually result in a stronger Canadian Dollar (CAD) and vice versa. Other tools used include quantitative easing and tightening.
In extreme situations, the Bank of Canada can enact a policy tool called Quantitative Easing. QE is the process by which the BoC prints Canadian Dollars for the purpose of buying assets – usually government or corporate bonds – from financial institutions. QE usually results in a weaker CAD. QE is a last resort when simply lowering interest rates is unlikely to achieve the objective of price stability. The Bank of Canada used the measure during the Great Financial Crisis of 2009-11 when credit froze after banks lost faith in each other’s ability to repay debts.
Quantitative tightening (QT) is the reverse of QE. It is undertaken after QE when an economic recovery is underway and inflation starts rising. Whilst in QE the Bank of Canada purchases government and corporate bonds from financial institutions to provide them with liquidity, in QT the BoC stops buying more assets, and stops reinvesting the principal maturing on the bonds it already holds. It is usually positive (or bullish) for the Canadian Dollar.
Disclaimer: For information purposes only. Past performance is not indicative of future results.
Recommended Articles
Bitwise's Matt Hougan Predicts a Crypto Boom in 2026 Amid Current Market Struggles
Gold Price Forecast: XAU/USD recovers above $4,100, hawkish Fed might cap gainsGold price (XAU/USD) recovers some lost ground to near $4,105, snapping the two-day losing streak during the early European session on Friday. The precious metal edges higher on the softer US Dollar (USD). Traders will take more cues from the Fedspeak later on Monday.
Gold price (XAU/USD) recovers some lost ground to near $4,105, snapping the two-day losing streak during the early European session on Friday. The precious metal edges higher on the softer US Dollar (USD). Traders will take more cues from the Fedspeak later on Monday.
Bitcoin slides deeper into red as bears lean on $96,600 wall and eye $90,000Bitcoin extends its decline after failing to reclaim $96,500, trading below $95,000, the 100-hour SMA and a bearish trend line near $96,600; unless bulls can force a decisive close back above $96,600–$97,200, the short-term path of least resistance stays lower, with $92,500, $90,000 and the main $88,500 support zone in focus.
Bitcoin extends its decline after failing to reclaim $96,500, trading below $95,000, the 100-hour SMA and a bearish trend line near $96,600; unless bulls can force a decisive close back above $96,600–$97,200, the short-term path of least resistance stays lower, with $92,500, $90,000 and the main $88,500 support zone in focus.
Bitcoin briefly loses 2025 gains as crypto plunges over the weekend.Bitcoin experienced a sharp decline this weekend, briefly erasing its 2025 gains and dipping below its year-opening value of $93,507. The cryptocurrency fell to a low of $93,029 on Sunday, representing a 25% drop from its all-time high in October. Although it has rebounded slightly to around $94,209, the pressures on the market remain significant.
The downturn occurred despite the reopening of the U.S. government on Thursday, which many had hoped would provide essential support for crypto markets. This year initially appeared promising for cryptocurrencies, particularly after the inauguration of President Donald Trump, who has established the most pro-crypto administration thus far. However, ongoing political tensions—including Trump's tariff strategies and the recent government shutdown, lasting a historic 43 days—have contributed to several rapid price pullbacks for Bitcoin throughout the year.
Market dynamics are also being influenced by Bitcoin whales—investors holding large amounts of Bitcoin—who have been offloading portions of their assets, consequently stalling price rallies even as positive regulatory developments emerge. Despite these sell-offs, analysts from Glassnode argue that this behavior aligns with typical patterns seen among long-term investors during the concluding stages of bull markets, suggesting it is not indicative of a mass exodus.
Notably, Bitcoin is not alone in its struggles, as Ethereum and Solana have also recorded declines of 7.95% and 28.3%, respectively, since the start of the year, while numerous altcoins have faced even steeper losses.
Looking ahead, questions linger regarding the viability of the four-year cycle thesis, particularly given the increasing institutional support and regulatory frameworks now in place in the crypto landscape. Matt Hougan, chief investment officer at Bitwise, remains optimistic, suggesting a potential Bitcoin resurgence in 2026 driven by the “debasement trade” thesis and a broader trend toward increased adoption of stablecoins, tokenization, and decentralized finance. Hougan emphasized the soundness of the underlying fundamentals, pointing to a positive outlook for the sector in the longer term.
Bitcoin experienced a sharp decline this weekend, briefly erasing its 2025 gains and dipping below its year-opening value of $93,507. The cryptocurrency fell to a low of $93,029 on Sunday, representing a 25% drop from its all-time high in October. Although it has rebounded slightly to around $94,209, the pressures on the market remain significant.
The downturn occurred despite the reopening of the U.S. government on Thursday, which many had hoped would provide essential support for crypto markets. This year initially appeared promising for cryptocurrencies, particularly after the inauguration of President Donald Trump, who has established the most pro-crypto administration thus far. However, ongoing political tensions—including Trump's tariff strategies and the recent government shutdown, lasting a historic 43 days—have contributed to several rapid price pullbacks for Bitcoin throughout the year.
Market dynamics are also being influenced by Bitcoin whales—investors holding large amounts of Bitcoin—who have been offloading portions of their assets, consequently stalling price rallies even as positive regulatory developments emerge. Despite these sell-offs, analysts from Glassnode argue that this behavior aligns with typical patterns seen among long-term investors during the concluding stages of bull markets, suggesting it is not indicative of a mass exodus.
Notably, Bitcoin is not alone in its struggles, as Ethereum and Solana have also recorded declines of 7.95% and 28.3%, respectively, since the start of the year, while numerous altcoins have faced even steeper losses.
Looking ahead, questions linger regarding the viability of the four-year cycle thesis, particularly given the increasing institutional support and regulatory frameworks now in place in the crypto landscape. Matt Hougan, chief investment officer at Bitwise, remains optimistic, suggesting a potential Bitcoin resurgence in 2026 driven by the “debasement trade” thesis and a broader trend toward increased adoption of stablecoins, tokenization, and decentralized finance. Hougan emphasized the soundness of the underlying fundamentals, pointing to a positive outlook for the sector in the longer term.
Gold price (XAU/USD) extends the decline to around $4,030 during the early Asian session on Tuesday. The precious metal edges lower as traders dialed back expectations of a US interest rate cut next month.
