Bank of Canada meeting

• What is the Bank of Canada?
• What is the Bank of Canada interest rate?
• What is the BoC meeting?
• How do Bank of Canada interest rates impact financial markets?
• Who is the Bank of Canada governor?

What is the Bank of Canada?

The Bank of Canada is Canada’s central bank, which was created to promote the economic and financial welfare of the country. The BoC is responsible for preserving the value of the Canadian dollar and keeping inflation low through monetary policies, printing money and setting interest rates.

The Canadian Ministry of Finance controls the direction of the bank, and all profits made from the bank’s activities go to the Receiver General of Canada.

The BoC is the equivalent to the Bank of England or Federal Reserve.

What is the Central Bank of Canada’s interest rate?

The Bank of Canada’s interest rate is the cost at which major financial institutions borrow and lend to each other overnight. The BoC sets the target level for the rate in order to influence inflation.

Changes in the Bank’s policy interest rate will influence other interest rates handed down to consumers, such as those on loans and mortgages, as well as the interest earned on savings. The rate decisions can also impact the value of the Canadian dollar.

Over time, a low interest rate can make the price of imported goods and services more expensive in Canada, while making Canadian exports more appealing. This usually leads to faster inflation. In contrast, a higher interest rate leads to cheaper imports and more expensive exports.

What is the BoC meeting?

The BoC meeting is when the Governing Council members come together to form a consensus on what target they’ll set for interest rates. The Governing Council consists of the Bank’s Governor, Senior Deputy Governor and four Deputy Governors.

How do Bank of Canada interest rates impact financial markets?

The Bank of Canada interest rate is one of the primary factors that impacts the price of the Canadian dollar. Typically, a higher rate is considered bullish for the CAD, while lower rates are considered bearish.

The most watched market around the BoC announcement is the USD/CAD, which usually sees immediate knock-on effects. However, the prices of Canadian stocks – especially bank stocks – will also be susceptible to volatility if the rate is unexpectedly high or low.

When interest rates go up, typically the demand for goods and services declines, which can hit company revenues over the long term. This can cause stock prices to drop. Conversely, when rates fall, company revenues can be expected to rise and investors might increase their position sizes – boosting share prices.

Who is the Bank of Canada governor?

The BoC Governor is the person responsible for ensuring the bank meets its responsibilities of monetary policy, currency supply and fund management.

Each BoC Governor serves a seven-year term, and is elected by the board of directors, who are appointed by Canada's Minister of Finance.