Hot real estate markets in many regions helped propel house prices higher
Central banks are expected to raise economic outlooks but stay patient on rates
As soon as next week, the central bank could start signalling a shift, according to Scotia Economics
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