It is Tuesday, May 19. Here are the top stories we are following today.
Big Six Bank Valuations at All-Time High
Investors are pricing in fairly high profit expectations for Canadian banks, which report earnings in the last week of May. The share prices of Canada’s biggest banks have surged over the past year as global investors look to diversify and park their money outside of the United States amid economic uncertainty, a falling U.S. dollar and high valuations. However, some analysts are questioning whether that trend can help continue the rally.
Slow Economic Growth
Canadians think a lot of themselves, but their self-images are put in doubt by incomes falling further and further behind the U.S., writes Philip Cross. We ignore slow economic growth at our peril.
U.S. Capital Flight
Wealthy Americans are leaving some U.S. states, but they are not coming here. Former Citicorp Inc. chief executive Walter Wriston once said “capital goes where it is welcome and stays where it is well treated.” The line has become tax-policy wallpaper but remains the most useful sentence for thinking about what is unfolding in some jurisdictions, including certain states south of the border.
Inflation on the Rise
Canada’s inflation rate rose to 2.8 per cent in April as higher energy prices caused by the war in Iran continued to drive up fuel prices, Statistics Canada said Tuesday. The price of regular gasoline selling at $1.77.9 per litre at a Petro Canada gas station in Montreal on April 20, 2026, highlights the ongoing impact.
Recreational Property Buyers
For many Canadians, the Victoria Day long weekend signals the unofficial start to cottage season. However, this year, recreational real estate is attracting a demographic of buyers looking beyond the traditional vacation property. According to a survey, 45 per cent of prospective Canadian buyers planning to buy a recreational property said they view the purchase as an entry-point into the broader housing market.
Workplace Conflict
Canadian workplaces have a conflict problem, but not in the way you think. Employers now operate in an environment shaped by human rights legislation, workplace investigation requirements, reprisal protections and escalating reputational risk. Routine management decisions that once relied primarily on judgment and experience are increasingly filtered through legal, HR and institutional risk frameworks. The consequence is not necessarily weaker but more cautious leadership.
