Q1 2023 Financial Results
Slowing Growth, Nearing End of Policy
Tightening Cycle
With inflation at multi-decade highs in several economies, central banks have significantly increased their policy rate over last
year to re-align demand with supply and reduce inflation. There are increasing signs that inflation is now trending down in
several economies with improved supply chain conditions, lower commodity prices and transportation costs, and healthier
inventory levels. These disinflationary pressures were partly offset by robust wage growth, consistent with currently tight labour
market conditions.
Canada and other economies have been surprisingly resilient to the sharp rise in policy rates. Recent indicators suggest growth
is slowing but less than suggested by previous rate hike episodes. We still expect the global economy to slow in 2023—with a
mild recession in Canada and the United States-as policy rates reach their cyclical peak by mid-2023 in several economies and
stabilize near these levels until about early 2024. A soft-landing is now more likely than we previously expected.
The Bank of Canada and the U.S. Federal Reserve both raised their policy rate to 4.50% (the upper bound of the U.S. Fed Funds
target) by the end of January 2023. We now predict that the policy rate has reached its cyclical peak in Canada but will increase
further in the U.S. to a terminal rate of 5.25% by the end of the second quarter of 2023. These peak levels will be maintained for
3 quarters in each country and start declining thereafter. Central banks in the Pacific Alliance Countries have also been raising
policy rates aggressively to counter inflationary pressures. This process is also nearing its end as the pace of economic
expansion moderates.
Canada: Bank of Canada Policy Rate
vs Headline Inflation
98765
%
Canada Unemployment Rate
25
PAC Unemployment Rates
%, SA
PAC Inflation
16
16
%
14
forecast
Chile
14
20
12
12
Colombia
Mexico
Peru
10
15
10
8
10
60
5
620 864 201
Y/Y % change
4
-2
-1
Policy rate
Chile
Mexico
Colombia
Peru
2
0
2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024
2015
2017
2019
2021
2023
2010 2012
2014
2016 2018 2020 2022
2006
2010
2014
2018
2022
60
Sources: Scotiabank Economics, Bank of Canada, Statistics Canada, Haver Analytics.
st
4
1
32-0
Headline
inflationView entire presentation