America's consumers stepped up their spending by a solid 2.4% in January
Faster vaccine rollout in the U.S. likely to give the country a jump on reopening
December's dip marked the largest decline since the low of April
Whether big banks would be resilient to a severe recession, an unemployment spike and a stock market plunge will be tested
The economy lost almost 213,000 jobs last month
Yet, a flash estimate from Statistics Canada forecasts a contraction of 5.1% for 2020
It was the latest sign that consumers, whose spending is the primary driver of the U.S. economy, are hunkered down
The pandemic has exacerbated income inequality, and many low-wage workers have no job to return to
Uncertainty abounds, but 2021 promises opportunities in equities markets
StatsCan's early estimate suggests retailers saw sales fall in December, though, at the height of the holiday shopping season