Jul 10, 2018
The Daily Chase: TSX hits another record high; CSeries gets a new name
By Noah Zivitz
The TSX Composite Index closed at a new all-time high yesterday, led higher by Canadian National and Canadian Pacific - two trade-sensitive names that found fans in the analyst community. CN contributed 15 points to the TSX’s rise after Deutsche Bank upgraded the stock to Buy, citing the company’s ability “to capitalize on abundant top-line opportunities”, while CP shares rose 3.4 per cent after Raymond James raised the stock to Strong Buy despite “the uncertainty that heightened trade rhetoric portends.”
OPEC PRESIDENT VS TRUMP
BNN Bloomberg's Tara Weber went around the world with UAE Energy Minister Suhail Mohamed Faraj Al Mazrouei, who also serves as OPEC's president, yesterday in Calgary. He said Canada needs to do a better job of promoting its homegrown technology, swatted down the possibility of the UAE taking a stake in Trans Mountain, and addressed U.S. President Donald Trump's Twitter feud with OPEC. "OPEC are doing their part," he said. "It's just the market needs time and we are monitoring the market, but there are things outside of our hands."
AIRBUS RENAMES CSERIES
The CSeries is no more. Airbus has changed the jet’s name to A220, officially killing the branding for what was once Bombardier’s crown jewel. Airbus made the move at an event today in Toulouse marking the change of control that took effect on July 1. And it’s clear the French plane maker has grand ambition for the aircraft, saying it’s aiming for 100 new orders by year-end.
LIFE AFTER GREYHOUND
Somewhere in yesterday’s surprise announcement that Greyhound will pull the plug on all service in Western Canada (aside from one route) there’s a business opportunity. Will it be the ultra-low-cost carriers cited in Greyhound’s press release that will aim to fill the void? Or maybe another bus service? Or maybe something else entirely? We’ll chase answers.
OTHER NOTABLE STORIES
-CUPE (the Canadian Union of Public Employees) has filed paperwork to formally launch a union representing WestJet flight attendants.
-Alimentation Couche-Tard is raising is quarterly dividend by a penny after adjusted fiscal fourth-quarter profit rose 13.5 per cent as recent takeovers pay off for the convenience store operator.
-Some curious findings in a new CIBC poll. Seventy-two per cent of respondents said they expect interest rates will rise over the next year, yet barely half (54 per cent) of prospective or actual homeowners say they’d go with a fixed-rate mortgage if they had to choose today.
-Royal LePage expects home sales and price growth will speed up after "a spring market that never blossomed." LePage is forecast a 1.9 per cent aggregate price gain during the next quarter.
-Bloomberg is reporting Tesla CEO Elon Musk has a three-day visit to China in the works, starting today in Shanghai. While the purpose of his trip is unconfirmed, our Bloomberg partners point out Tesla has been looking to establish a manufacturing footprint in the country.
NOTABLE RELEASES/EVENTS
-Notable earnings: PepsiCo
-Notable data: Canadian building permits, Canadian housing starts
-7:30 a.m. ET: Toronto Mayor John Tory meets with financial services sector chief executives to discuss trade
-9:00 a.m. ET: John Tory holds media avail in Toronto
-12:00 p.m. ET: Ontario Progressive Conservative Government House Leader Todd Smith to discuss legislative priorities
-12:30 p.m. ET: Atlantic Growth Strategy meeting in Summerside, PEI
-2:00 p.m. ET: Alberta Premier Rachel Notley to speak at Stampede Investment Forum in Calgary (plus scrum)
-Open Text holds investor day in Toronto
-Sun Valley Media Conference gets underway
Every morning BNN'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.
