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Rising tensions in the Middle East have once again drawn global attention to the Strait of Hormuz, one of the most strategically important maritime passages in the world. The narrow waterway connects the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea, serving as the primary export route for oil from major producers including Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, and Iran.
The global energy transition is accelerating. Renewable capacity additions are reaching record levels, electric vehicle adoption is expanding, and governments are committing trillions toward decarbonization. Yet, despite this push, global oil demand remains resilient — and in many regions, continues to grow.
energy-producing regions. Brent and West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude benchmarks have risen amid fears of supply disruption, renewed sanctions risk, and the potential for broader regional instability.
Canada’s housing affordability challenge has evolved from a cyclical imbalance into a structural economic issue. Home prices and rents surged dramatically following the pandemic, but even as interest rates rose sharply, affordability has not meaningfully improved. This raises a central policy question: Is Canada’s housing crisis primarily the result of policy missteps, or is it fundamentally a supply shock?
The United States has carried elevated fiscal deficits for years, but the post-pandemic period has introduced a more complex challenge: large deficits are persisting even in a stable labor market and moderate-growth environment. What was once cyclical stimulus is increasingly structural imbalance.
Canada’s renewed push to strengthen economic ties with China signals a pragmatic shift in trade strategy. Facing rising geopolitical uncertainty and heavy export dependence on the United States, Ottawa appears to be pursuing diversification — expanding commercial engagement with Asia while maintaining its traditional Western alliances.
In a significant ruling, the Supreme Court of the United States has struck down key tariffs imposed during the administration of Donald Trump.
The global energy landscape in 2026 is undergoing a structural reset. While renewable energy remains central to long-term decarbonization goals, capital markets are increasingly recognizing that opportunity extends beyond solar and wind.
Artificial intelligence has triggered one of the most aggressive capital expenditure cycles in modern technology history. From hyperscale cloud providers to semiconductor manufacturers, companies are deploying unprecedented capital into AI infrastructure.
After several years of elevated interest rates, tightening liquidity, and inflation-driven uncertainty, 2026 is shaping up to be a pivotal year for monetary policy. The key question is no longer whether rates are “high” — but how central banks adapt from here.