CANADA DATA: GDP Expected To Confirm Tepid Bounce In Q3 – 0830ET
Nov-28 13:15
Real GDP growth for Q3 and separate monthly data for Sep/Oct advance are released shortly at 0830ET. The BoC puts more weight on the expenditure-based quarterly data, although the production-based monthly data still offer a valuable idea of momentum into Q4. Both however are likely more susceptible than usual to US trade-related revisions.
Canadian GDP data is released at 0830ET for Q3 along with the monthly report for September and its advance estimate for October.
Bloomberg consensus eyes real GDP growth of 0.5% annualized in Q3, with a range of -0.4% to 0.8%, after a heavy decline of -1.6% in Q2 when net exports dragged a huge ~7.5pp annualized from GDP.
Six of the seven largest Canadian banks all look for 0.5% (BMO, Desjardins, National, RBC, Scotia and TD), with CIBC the exception at 0.7%. RBC doesn’t currently show in the Bloomberg survey.
For the monthly series, Bloomberg consensus of 0.2% M/M sees upside risk to the 0.1% indicated in last month’s advance estimate, following upward revisions to manufacturing and wholesale trade.
Analyst estimates on Bloomberg range from -0.1% to 0.2% M/M, with seven estimates for 0.2%, but RBC is again not included here and looks for a stronger 0.3% M/M.
It follows two noisier months with -0.3% M/M in Aug and 0.3% M/M in Jul, but the prior trend had been weaker with three consecutive -0.1% M/M prints through Apr-Jun.
As for potential advance estimates for October, CIBC pencil in a “small 0.1% increase” on the back of “little information regarding October available as yet”.
The BoC last month forecast a 0.5% increase in Q3 before 1.0% in Q4. More broadly, it sees real GDP growth of 0.5% Y/Y in 4Q25 before 1.6% in both 4Q26 and 4Q27.
Helping put these numbers into context, the BoC estimates potential output growth of 1.6% in 2025, 1.0% in 2026 and 1.3% in 2027.
The Bank opted for a hawkish cut last month, signalling a pause ahead with the overnight rate of 2.25% deemed “about the right level to keep inflation close to 2% while helping the economy through this period of structural adjustment."
BoC-dated OIS has nothing priced for the Dec 10 meeting although there is up to 10bp of cuts priced out in mid-2026. We suspect risks to near-term pricing from this release specifically are to the downside although with Thanksgiving timing likely limiting trading activity.