BMO COVID-19 Insights

Find out why there have been significant disruptions in both availability and reliability within the supply chain.

Russia's invasion of Ukraine has brought uncertainty to domestic and foreign policy as well as to the economy and the markets. It comes amidst soaring inflation, imminent interest rate hikes, continued supply chain bottlenecks, and a pandemic that has yet to be contained. BMO experts discuss domestic and foreign policy issues and the impact they might have on markets, the economy, tax reform and how the federal reserve might respond to ongoing concerns about inflation.

Amid the explosive growth of Omicron, BMO hosted a digital event with Health, Markets & Economic experts to discuss the impact of what has become the most sweeping wave since the beginning of the pandemic. Our experts discussed the implications on our health systems and a North American economy that is trying to understand and define its future.

BMO recently held an event to discuss the current state of supply chain bottlenecks, strategies for managing the crisis and when we can expect the situation to begin to normalize. Joining us to offer their insights were two well-respected individuals who extensively cover the supply chain: Fadi Chamoun, Transportation Analyst and Managing Director, BMO Capital Markets; and Eric Starks, Chairman and CEO of FTR Transportation Intelligence, a leader in freight transportation forecasting.

The discovery of the Omicron variant in Southern Africa last week, and its subsequent appearance in countries around the globe, has shaken confidence in the recovery from the global pandemic. BMO hosted a panel to discuss the emergence of the Omicron variant as we enter the holiday season and as cold weather drives more people indoors. Our internal and external experts will look at what Omicron means from a health, markets, and economic perspective and how it may impact the ongoing recovery.

On September 28, BMO hosted a panel to provide an update on the current state of the pandemic and an outlook on what it means for the markets and the economy. The experts spoke to infection trends, vaccine hesitancy, booster shots, and how the economy and markets are performing amid an ongoing pandemic.

Scott Brison, Douglas Porter et Earl Davis, de BMO, ont récemment discuté de l'impact que les résultats de l'élection canadienne pourraient avoir sur la politique nationale, l'économie et les marchés financiers. Écoutez l'épisode complet.

BMO's Scott Brison, Douglas Porter and Earl Davis recently discussed how the results of the Canadian election might impact national policy, the economy and financial markets. Listen to the full episode.

"Investing in housing for all Canadians means removing barriers that exclude so many from a better life," said Sharon Haward-Laird, General Counsel and Co-Chair of BMO's Sustainability Council, BMO Financial Group. BMO recently announced a commitment to finance affordable housing over a ten-year period in support of the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation's (CMHC) aspiration that all Canadians have a home that they can afford and that meets their needs by 2030. Sharon Haward-Laird joins Sustainability Leaders host Jonathan Hackett, Romy Bowers, President and CEO of Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, Chief R. Don Maracle, Tyendinaga Mohawk Council, Mohawks of the Bay of Quinte, and Mike McGahan, CEO, InterRent REIT to discuss this new commitment to build a more inclusive society. A transcript of this episode is available at bmo.com/sustainabilityleaders-podcast.

What kind of headwinds can we expect and what are the risks? Will inflation woes drive a change in monetary policy? BMO Capital Markets Head and Chief Executive Officer Dan Barclay was joined by leading BMO experts in a discussion about the main market and economic questions weighing on investors and businesses as they plan for the future. For a transcript of this episode visit bmocm.com/COVID

We had the pleasure of hosting a conversation with Mark Carney, UN Special Envoy on Climate Action and Finance, at BMO's recent Global Reserve and Asset Managers Conference, where topics ranged from carbon offsets to the recent Biden Summit, and to what makes him optimistic about the future. For a transcript of this episode please visit bmocm.com

With President Joe Biden cresting the first 100 days of his administration, experts are forecasting a strong economic rebound in the United States and Canada, but worries persist about the impacts of a third wave of the pandemic. BMO hosted the third in a series of panels on the road to recovery and how we're tracking recovery from a health, markets and macroeconomic perspective. Dan Barclay, CEO, BMO Capital Markets, moderated this discussion that included medical experts, Dr. John Whyte, Chief Medical Officer, WebMD, Dr. Allison McGeer, Senior Clinician-Scientist, Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Sinai Health and BMO's own Brian Belski, Chief Investment Strategist, BMO Capital Markets and Earl Davis, Head of Fixed Income & Money Markets, BMO Global Asset Management. For a transcript of this episode visit bmocm.com/covid19.

The government of Canada released its 2021 budget on April 19. BMO Chief Economist Douglas Porter provides his take on the key elements of this year's budget, how it may affect the economic outlook over the next 12 months and over the medium term, and how the traumatic events of 2020 have changed the broader fiscal backdrop.

As regions across Canada and the United States deploy vaccines against COVID-19, BMO hosted a panel discussion on how we're managing through the pandemic from a health, markets and macroeconomic perspective. The panel was moderated by Chief Investment Strategist Brian Belski, and featured medical commentary from Dr. John Whyte, Chief Medical Officer, WebMD, Dr. Howard Ovens, Chief Medical Strategy Officer Sinai Health. BMO experts, Deputy Chief Economist Michael Gregory and Margaret Kerins, Head of FICC Macro Strategy. A transcript of this event is available at bmocm.com/COVID19.

Early in the year, the outlook for the global auto industry looked dire. Dealerships were temporarily shuttered and production was halted as the global pandemic caused the shortest and steepest post-war recession on record. Still, vehicle sales have managed to chart a V-shaped recovery. What will 2021 bring? Will vehicle sales continue to stabilize? Will production return to pre-pandemic levels? How will the USMCA impact the industry? Listen as BMO Economist, Erik Johnson, provides an update on the Auto Industry economic market report and discusses key issues affecting the Canadian Auto Industry.

BMO hosts a panel discussion featuring Dr. John Whyte, Chief Medical Officer, WebMD and Dr. Allison McGeer, Senior Clinician-Scientist, Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Sinai Health, Brian Belski, Michael Gregory and Margaret Kerins, as regions across Canada and the United States look to deploy vaccines against COVID-19. Our experts will discuss how we're managing through the pandemic from a health, markets and macroeconomic perspective and provide commentary on the outlook.

The Chicagoland Food and Beverage Network brings together companies in Chicago's bustling food industry to help Chicago become "The Silicon Valley of Food & Beverage." When the pandemic increased food insecurity, they leveraged their Bigger Table initiative to bring healthy food to people in need.

Life Care Services knows that the seniors living in its communities are counting on them to keep them safe during the COVID-19 pandemic. As the holidays are approaching, Joel Nelson and his employees have re-imagined how they operate so their residents and their families can stay connected while staying healthy.

BMO Capital Markets hosted a client call on Monday, November 9 on the election of Joe Biden to the presidency of the United States, with votes all but counted. The call was moderated by BMO Capital Markets Chief Investment Strategist Brian Belski and focused on the likely shape of the U.S. economy and markets going forward based on the election results, featuring expert commentary from Margaret Kerins, Managing Director and Head of FICC Macro Strategy, and Michael Gregory, Deputy Chief Economist and Head of U.S. Economics.

BMO Capital Markets hosted a roundtable discussion on the outlook for markets following the US elections. The call was moderated by BMO Capital Markets Chief Investment Strategist Brian Belski and focused on the likely shape of the US economy and markets going forward based on the election results (or lack thereof), featuring expert commentary from Margaret Kerins, Managing Director and Head of FICC Macro Strategy, and Michael Gregory, Deputy Chief Economist and Head of U.S. Economics.

A global pandemic alongside racial inequality and political polarization have created a state of “radical uncertainty.” What impact could this have on Generation COVID, or Gen C—the generation that's coming of age during this crisis? Eric Boles speaks with three experts about how 2020 will shape a generation. Among the topics to be discussed: 1) A look at the impact technological innovation will have on Gen C; 2) How we can use previous generation-defining events as a guide to navigate our current conditions; and 3) Why corporations will have to move beyond their traditional roles to address a range of social and economic issues.

Brady Corporation manufacturers thousands of products used in the healthcare industry; including critical testing kits for COVID-19. As the pandemic grew, Michael Nauman and his leadership team tapped Brady's best asset, its employees, to quickly come up with new innovations to address the unique safety issues brought on by COVID-19.

This week, Dave Moore, BMO's Hong Kong based trader joins me to share his insights on what the Asian client base is focused on, where he sees the market going, and his favourite trade ideas.

2020 has changed every part of how we live our everyday lives; how we work, how we eat, how we shop, how we stay healthy and even how we manage our money. In this episode of The Road to Recovery: Expert Conversations, Dr. John Whyte, Cam Fowler and Erica Kuhlmann take a look ahead and discuss how different facets of our lives will continue to change through 2020 and beyond.

Today's guest is something of a visionary. He took a brilliant idea and made it happen. And, as we'll discover, this business is saving lives every single day.

International air travel has plummeted during the pandemic. It's down 84 per cent compared with one year ago, and thousands of jets worldwide have been taken out or service. As we hear from today's guest on Inside Stories, there are some occupations where it's not an option to “work from home.”

This week, Joel Prussky, BMO's OIS and cross currency trader joins Ben Reitzes to share his insights on the yield curve, fiscal policy, big picture thoughts about where the monetary system is headed and his favourite trade ideas.

When Carol Lee saw how the economic downturn was impacting the Chinatown community, she knew the Vancouver Chinatown Foundation could help. They put programs together to help individuals in need, while at the same time helping local businesses keep their doors open.

While multiple events in 2020 have disrupted business as usual, companies still need to hire and retain talent. But what will recruitment and retention look like in this new environment? In this episode of Road to Recovery: Expert Conversations, host Eric Boles speaks with Jaclyn Jensen, Shannon Costigan and Jennifer Schlott-Rouzan about how remote working and the need for a diverse and inclusive workforce has changed and will continue to evolve.

Are we on the Road to Recovery yet, and what does the New Normal look like going forward? Is it too soon to tell, or do we have answers? Listen to WebMD's Chief Medical Officer Dr. John Whyte discuss with BMO experts Dan Barclay, Brian Belski and Margaret Kerins where we've been and where we are headed from a health, investment and economic perspective. 

This year BMO is proud to partner with Children's Aid Foundation of Canada, the newest organization to join our Equity Through Education program. In this podcast interview, Fil Papich, Head of BMO Capital Markets Quebec is joined by Valerie McMurtry, President and CEO of Children's Aid Foundation of Canada, in a heartfelt discussion about the obstacles that youth face in the child welfare system and how the ETE program will support their endeavours.

Today on Inside Stories, we'll hear from an Electric Vehicle convert. Seth Weintraub climbed into a Tesla for a test drive back in 2013. In that one short drive…he was hooked. He also believes we're in the midst of an automotive revolution.

The pandemic has hammered the global travel industry. Fewer people are traveling, and they're staying closer to home. We speak with industry expert and accomplished traveler Jim Byers about how the very nature of travel is changing, and how the industry has been trying to adapt.

In the first episode of Views From The North, I was joined by Fred Nastos, head of credit trading at BMO. We share our thoughts on the Bank of Canada's latest policy announcement, market impact and major upcoming events. 

One thing is clear: this election season is like nothing we've ever seen. But what are the long-term implications for campaigns and elections once COVID-19 no longer leads the headlines? In this episode of The Road to Recovery: Expert Conversations, host Eric Boles spoke with Cris Landa, Scott Brison and David Jacobson about how the democratic process will change.

Though we've all adapted, there's no denying these are still stressful times. Today on Inside Stories, we explore new tools that allow us to train our brains to de-stress. Guest Sarah Hill is the CEO of Healium – a system that allows you to change what you see...using only your thoughts.

Tea Francis has an unusual – and undeniable – area of interest: Spiders. Why, you might ask? It's a good question. And Tea has plenty of good answers.

The workplaces that many people had to leave in March 2020 will probably never look the same as they did in February. Organizations of all types are adapting to help keep their employees safe, while offering the flexibility and tools they need along with the infrastructure required to support a fully remote or blended workforce. And it all leads to the big question: What is the role of the office in a post-pandemic future?

Bad weather drives most of us indoors. But Mark Robinson heads outside – seeking the most powerful storms and natural phenomenon on the planet. In fact, there's a very good reason he calls himself a Storm Hunter.

In our latest episode of The Road to Recovery: Expert Conversations, we talk with three experts about how the COVID-19 pandemic has changed the nature of educational instruction, and what it means for schools, organizations and companies moving forward.

For Bill Siggins, the pandemic has unfolded much differently than for people in North America. That's because he lives in the country where all of this began: China. 

Sports may be restarting, but Broadway is still dark. Writer and performer Bob Martin lives in this world…a sector that simply cannot get back to 'Business as Usual' while COVID-19 remains.

Our panel of experts discuss the importance of understanding the psychological strain 2020 has had on employees and offer some best practices on how to support them in a meaningful way.

Karine Eid discute de la publication du Livre bleu de BMO, en mettant l'accent sur l'économie canadienne, les petites entreprises et les secteurs clés, alors qu'ils reprennent leurs activités après le confinement engendré par la COVID-19. Le Livre bleu de BMO repose à la fois sur l'expertise des économistes de BMO et sur l'information recueillie au sujet des conjonctures économiques nationales et provinciales fournies par les gens d'affaires locaux aux conseillers des Services bancaires aux entreprises de BMO.

Doug Porter discusses the release of the BMO Blue Book, with a focus on the Canadian economy, key sectors and small businesses as they start to emerge from COVID-19 lockdowns. The BMO Blue Book combines the expertise of BMO's economists with information on current national and provincial business conditions provided to BMO's business bankers by local businesspeople.

Odds are, you've seen Laurie Garrett being interviewed about the pandemic. Laurie has reported on infectious outbreaks for decades, is considered one of the world's top authorities on the spread of COVID19 – and has some very strong thoughts on how it has been handled.

Ian Lyngen shares his thoughts on the U.S. Rates market for Thursday, July 16th, 2020.

Ian Lyngen shares his thoughts on the U.S. Rates market for Tuesday, July 14th, 2020.

Ian Lyngen shares his thoughts on the U.S. Rates market for Monday, July 13th, 2020.

Ian Lyngen shares his thoughts on the U.S. Rates market for Friday, July 10th, 2020.

Ken Keelor and the Calgary Co-op have always put their community first. As the COVID-19 pandemic hit, they knew they could play an important role in not only helping feed the communities they serve, but also to help their members contribute to in-demand charitable organizations.