The industrial sector is cruising along at a moderate but not spectacular pace, and that's a good thing at this stage of the expansion.

Canadian consumer spending is finally poised to hit the brakes after a spectacular run earlier this year,

Clearly, Alberta is ground zero for wage pressures.

I'm actually encouraged by how well the economy hung in there in September and October during the worst of the energy price spikes. The bigger threat to growth is the rising interest rates.

Forecasts of parity (with the U.S. dollar) are multiplying faster than bunny rabbits in May.

Foreign private investors remain solid buyers of U.S. securities, providing important support for the U.S. dollar, even in the face of record current account deficits.

It's a red flag. Any time the nation's largest retailer stumbles a bit, it's a warning sign.

At least one spooky theme behind these moves has been mounting concern that the latest spike in energy prices will cascade into other costs and prices, drive up inflation expectations and force the Fed to be even more fearsome than expected in its tightening campaign,

They're getting close to the end of tightening.

The renewed and rapid rise in the Canadian dollar may ultimately do much of (the) tightening for the bank, but we look for at least one more rate hike this year.