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Bank Of Canada

December 6, 2011 by · Comments Off on Bank Of Canada 

Bank Of Canada, The Bank of Canada kept its overnight interest rate at 1 percent on Tuesday, as expected, and gave no suggestion of an impending rate cut even though its view of the European debt crisis has clearly darkened.

The central bank extended a freeze on rates for a 15th straight month. While its statement sounded upbeat on near-term growth in Canada and the United States, it cautioned that both will feel the pinch from a “more pronounced” recession in Europe.

“Conditions in global financial markets have deteriorated as the sovereign debt crisis in Europe has deepened. Additional measures will be required to contain the European crisis,” the central bank said starkly.

The bank now sees Europe’s economy shrinking more sharply than it previously expected, which could be felt in Canada through financial, confidence and trade channels.

Six weeks ago, when it released quarterly forecasts, the bank had assumed the European crisis would be contained, although central bank chief Mark Carney in late November characterized it as “barely contained.”

But the bank’s statement was relatively balanced compared to the gloom markets had been expecting, and it poured cold water on the idea of imminent monetary easing.

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