TORONTO -- Five things to watch for in the Canadian business world in the coming week:
Metro update
Metro Inc. releases its first-quarter financial results and holds a conference call with analysts on Tuesday. The Montreal-based grocer said in November that it plans to roughly double the number of stores with self checkouts during its 2020 financial year as the industry contends with a tight labour market.
CN results
Canadian National Railway Co. reports its fourth-quarter and full-year results after the close of markets on Tuesday. The railway was hit by an eight-day strike in November that brought its trains across the country to a halt. CN has estimated the impact of the strike was about 15 cents per share.
BoC speech
Bank of Canada deputy governor Paul Beaudry gives a speech on monetary policy and financial vulnerabilities in Quebec City on Thursday. The central bank kept its key interest rate on hold at 1.75 per cent last week in the face of a slower-than-expected start to 2020 for the Canadian economy, but governor Stephen Poloz left the door open to a rate cut if the weakness is more persistent than expected.
November GDP figures
Statistics Canada is scheduled to release gross domestic product by industry figures for November on Friday. The agency's previous report showed that Canada's economy contracted slightly in October, with real GDP down 0.1 per cent from September, the first month-to-month decline since February
Imperial Oil earnings
Imperial Oil Ltd. will release fourth quarter results followed by a webcast featuring new CEO Brad Corson on Friday. The Calgary-based producer and refiner missed analyst expectations for its third-quarter, mainly due to lower refinery profit margins and planned maintenance outages.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 26, 2020.
