Market Focus

On Friday, April 20, 2018, it is worthwhile to focus on data on the retail sales index, retail sales and the consumer price index of Canada. The base retail sales index is a measure of all sold goods of different types of retail trade except auto. These indicators are important indicators of consumer spending and the pace of economic development. The basic index of consumer prices reflects the change in the price of goods and services from the consumer’s point of view. This indicator is a key indicator of inflation in Canada.

• According to the forecast, the base retail sales index in March will change by 0.0%, against growth in February at the level of 0.9%.
• The change in the volume of retail sales will be 0.1% in March, against the growth of 0.3% in the previous period.
• The base consumer price index has changed by 0.0%, against the growth of the previous month at the level of 0.7%. On an annualized basis, the growth rate remains at 1.5%.
• The consumer price index will grow by 0.4% in March, which is below the previous level of 0.6%. On an annualized basis, the growth rate will be 2.3%, against the previous value of 2.2%.

The release of data within the forecast can put pressure on the Canadian currency, so one should expect the Canadian dollar to fall within 40-50 points against its competitors.

Alexander Sivtsov