5to things watch
IN THE CANADIAN BUSINESS WORLD IN THE COMING WEEK
1. Cabinet shuffle
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will shuffle his cabinet Monday to deal with the resignation of Treasury Board President Scott Brison who has said he won’t seek re-election this fall. Observers will be watching to see if Trudeau simply replaces Brison or uses the opportunity for a broader change to his cabinet.
2. Shaw earnings
Shaw Communications Inc. will hold a conference call on Monday to discuss its first-quarter results. The Calgary-based company said in October that its federal regulator can best protect Canadians from problem sales practices by banning telecom companies from using outside contractors to do their door-to-door sales.
3. 2018 real estate numbers
The Canadian Real Estate Association will release its December and year-end home sales numbers on Tuesday. CREA predicted in December that national home sales will fall to a near decade low in 2019, as rising interest rates and strict mortgage stress-test rules continue to put a damper on buyer sentiment.
4. Kinder Morgan update
Kinder Morgan Canada Ltd. holds a conference call to discuss its fourth-quarter results on the Wednesday. The CEO of the company’s U.s.-based parent company recently said there’s a “seller’s market” for its assets such as crude tank storage and rail terminals in Alberta, the Vancouver Wharves Terminal and the Cochin Pipeline system.
5. Inflation update
Statistics Canada will release its consumer price index for December on Friday. The numbers for November showed the annual pace of inflation slowed to 1.7 per cent as upward pressure from higher gasoline prices eased off, giving the Bank of Canada another reason to keep interest rates on hold. The Canadian Press