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Bank of Canada chops borrowing costs to 50-year low
/ a) [( A. t8 P( @2 |Last Updated: Tuesday, December 9, 2008 | 9:28 AM ET Comments80Recommend83! g& I! `4 W5 v6 d+ U5 m
CBC News; |6 ~1 J" A1 B. r7 z" \
' r6 k9 e# ? b3 U+ Q: ~The Bank of Canada chopped a key interest rate by three-quarters of a percentage point on Tuesday as the central bank moves to combat economic weakness.! ^# x! m" M% A9 w( \
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With the interest rate reduction — which was the biggest drop since one of a similar size in October 2001— the bank's overnight rate now stands at 1.5 per cent, a level not seen since 1958.
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- X R. h& k6 d"While Canada's economy evolved largely as expected during the summer and early autumn, it is now entering a recession as a result of the weakness in global economic activity," the bank said.5 T1 R3 V+ s. G. E" d
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"The recent declines in terms of trade, real income growth, and confidence are prompting more cautious behaviour by households and businesses."" }8 Y2 a/ D5 i. S" m: l; f
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Economists had been divided over whether the central bank would cut by one-half of a percentage point or go with a more aggressive reduction.
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3 v0 J! @# a+ [# i3 L1 k6 s; H0 lIn the wake of the Bank of Canada's decision, the Canadian dollar was trading down 0.93 of a cent to 78.81 cents US. |
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