Noah Zivitz

Managing Editor, BNN Bloomberg

Archive

Former Prime Minister Paul Martin has strong views on how Canada, and other countries for that matter, should respond to U.S. President Donald Trump’s 'America First' leadership style: “I think that it has to be a very public fight,” Martin told Amanda Lang in an interview that can be seen today on Bloomberg Markets. It's a particularly timely conversation, considering multiple reports about China-U.S. trade talks stalling. Martin also discusses fiscal responsibility, economic opportunities for First Nations, relations with China, and SNC-Lavalin.

RETIREMENT WORRIES

A new poll is suggesting Canadian baby boomers are falling way short (hundreds of thousands of dollars, even) of their retirement savings targets. For instance, according to data gathered by RBC, Canadians with at least $100,000 in investable assets are falling $275,000 short of their savings goal on average. CTV's Chief Financial Commentator Pattie Lovett-Reid will address what can be done about the disconnect.

CANNTRUST DEADLINE

Today’s the due date for CannTrust Holdings to officially respond to Health Canada’s non-compliance report, with the company’s production licence potentially at stake. We’ll be on the lookout for developments.

NETFLIX TUMBLES   

The streaming service’s shares are down more than 10 per cent in pre-market trading after disappointing subscriber numbers in its latest quarter, including an outright drop in paying customers in the United States. Netflix chalks up its stumble to a relatively weak content slate and fallout from price increases, but played down the impact of competition in the quarter, albeit while acknowledges a “fierce” landscape of rivals will take shape in the next year.

OTHER NOTABLE STORIES

-Finance Minister Bill Morneau is shrugging off the risk of a Fed rate cut lighting up the Canadian dollar. “The rate differentials … are just a reflection of our economies,” he told our Bloomberg partners this morning from Chantilly, France. “So I don’t spend my time worrying about it.”

-There's a couple of other stocks to watch after earnings late yesterday: IBM is trading modestly lower after reporting yet another quarter of revenue erosion. And eBay is up five per cent in the pre-market after raising its profit forecast and saying it’s “actively reviewing” the future of its StubHub and Classifieds units.

-Aimia can’t seem to get out of the news these days. Apart from tense relations with shareholders, now one of its partners – Grupo Aeromexico – has warned it’s “re-evaluating all aspects of its customer loyalty strategy.”

-Mark Carney no longer appears to be an odds-on favourite for the International Monetary Fund’s top job, according to unnamed sources who spoke to The Globe and Mail. “He has the wrong passport,” one source said.

NOTABLE RELEASES/EVENTS

-Notable earnings: West Fraser Timber, Microsoft, Morgan Stanley, Honeywell, UnitedHealth, Philip Morris International

-Notable data: StatsCan EI report, Teranet/National Bank home price index

-1:35 p.m. ET: U.S. President Donald Trump meets with Netherlands Prime Minister Mark Rutte at White House

-Deadline for CannTrust's response to Health Canada inspection

-Canada-EU summit in Montreal (9:00 a.m. ET photo op with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, European Council President Donald Tusk, European Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom; 11:45 a.m. ET signing ceremony and media avail)

-G7 finance ministers and central bankers conclude two-day meeting in Chantilly, France (https://www.elysee.fr/en/g7/2019/01/01/combating-inequality-through-regulated-fairer-and-more-equitable-globalization)

Every morning BNN Bloomberg's Managing Editor Noah Zivitz writes a ‘chase note’ to BNN Bloomberg's editorial staff listing the stories and events that will be in the spotlight that day. Have it delivered to your inbox before the trading day begins by heading to www.bnnbloomberg.ca/subscribe.