Bank of Canada's Estimate for Neutral Rate May be Too High

Dow Jones
Jul 09

0909 ET - Canada's neutral interest rate might be a half-point lower than current Bank of Canada estimates, says economist David Watt at Rosenberg Research. Economists say the neutral rate is the level that neither stimulates nor subtracts from growth, and the BOC estimates that in Canada it sits between 2.25% to 3.25%. Watt says a population decline, two decades of flat growth in capital stock, and lingering US trade-policy uncertainty have pulled Canada's estimate for the neutral rate down by roughly 50 basis points, to between 1.75% and 2.75%. As a result, Watt says, the BOC's main interest rate is likely too high at 2.25%, and a rate increase to guard against inflation risks from higher oil prices would be an error. (Paul.Vieira@wsj.com; @paulvieira)

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

July 09, 2026 09:09 ET (13:09 GMT)

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