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The Financial Accounting Standards Board wants to require companies to disclose significant stablecoin holdings as part of a broader move to have companies break out their different types of cash equivalents. The accounting standard-setter voted Wednesday to propose that all companies must annually disclose the dollar amounts of the significant components of their cash equivalents. These components include investments with maturities of three months or less, like money-market funds, Treasury bills, commercial paper and possibly, stablecoins, for which there are no specific accounting rules at present. Equivalents are highly liquid, short-term but low-risk investments.
As the United States embarks on clearing mines from the Strait of Hormuz, it could draw on an arsenal of drones, explosive‑laden robots and helicopters to reduce risks, though de‑mining crews could still be vulnerable to Iranian attacks. The U.S. is trying to secure the strait from mines as part of efforts to end Iran's disruption of shipping, which has severely curbed global energy supplies since the U.S. and Israel launched strikes against Iran at the end of February. But while the U.S. can draw on modernised technology to remotely check for and remove mines, clearing a strategic waterway such as the Strait of Hormuz will still be a slow, multi‑step process, former naval officers and industry specialists say.
Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce chief executive officer Harry Culham says the lender is bolstering financing for businesses as Ottawa injects cash into building major infrastructure. The federal government and Canada’s bank regulator have been seeking out ways to encourage more lending from the country’s largest banks to finance major projects and scale small and medium-sized businesses. CIBC plans to ramp up lending for energy, agriculture, transportation, small and medium-sized businesses, and other sectors deemed critical to Ottawa’s strategy to reinforce the economy as geopolitics upends global trade. “We’re going to lean in very heavily to this whole concept of nation building, and that involves everything from infrastructure to the other areas,” Mr. Culham said in an interview.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Thursday that she agreed with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte to work in the coming weeks to strengthen the European Union's relationship with the military alliance. "We discussed the upcoming NATO Summit and how we can upscale defence industrial output in Europe," von der Leyen said in a post on social media platform X after meeting Rutte in Brussels. "We need to invest more, to produce more and to do both faster. With the rise in global security threats, we agreed to work closely together in the next weeks to strengthen the EU-NATO relationship and prepare a successful Summit in Ankara," she added.
The Canadian Real Estate Association has downgraded its forecast for home sales activity in 2026, while the number of homes across the country sold in March fell 2.3 per cent from a year earlier. CREA is now expecting a total of 474,972 residential properties to be sold throughout the year, which would be one per cent more than 2025. But that’s down from its previous forecast in January of 5.1 per cent growth year-over-year. The national average home price is forecast to rise 1.5 per cent on an annual basis to $688,955 in 2026, which would be around $10,000 lower than predicted in January. In March, the national average sale price fell 0.8 per cent compared with a year earlier to $673,084. CREA’s own home price index, which aims to represent the sale of typical homes, edged 0.4 per cent lower between February and March and dropped 4.7 per cent on a year-over-year basis.
The federal government is “very seriously” considering introducing a social media ban for kids, Culture Minister Marc Miller said Wednesday, days after party members voted in favour of a such a ban at the Liberal Party convention. “I respect and acknowledge the work that’s been done and the concern where that policy proposal came from,” Miller told reporters on Parliament Hill. “The grassroots have spoken. We do have to study that.” In Montreal on Saturday, party members passed a non-binding resolution calling on the government to set 16 as the minimum age for access to social media accounts.
Chief executives are on a constant quest for the grail of eternal omnipresence. Could artificial intelligence give it to them? Mark Zuckerberg seems to think so. The Meta chief executive, occasionally lampooned for his robotic stage presence, is helping to train and test an animated AI version of himself to interact with his employees, the Financial Times has reported. The Wall Street Journal also has written that the Facebook founder is building a separate AI agent to help him pull information from different layers of the company. As one FT reader commented: “When is Meta going to build a human version of Mark Zuckerberg?” Other corporate leaders will be watching the outcome of these trials avidly, though. Many think their ability to realise their grand strategies is limited only by hours in the day. It is why personal productivity is an executive obsession. It is why lots of executives boast that they subsist on tiny sips of sleep, in the mistaken belief that increasing their waking hours will improve their output. In this nonstop effort to manage time more efficiently, the needy employee seeking feedback can be a nuisance.
Russia attacked Ukraine overnight with hundreds of drones and three ballistic missiles, targeting port infrastructure in the south, killing one and wounding at least seven people, Ukrainian officials said. Russia launched 324 drones in the period since 6 p.m. on Tuesday and three ballistic missiles, Ukraine's air force said. Air defence units shot down or neutralised 309 drones, but the missiles and 13 drones hit at nine locations, it said. "Just over the past 24 hours there were brutal attacks on Dnipro, Cherkasy, Kharkiv, Kryvyi Rih, Chernihiv, the Donetsk region, and Zaporizhzhia," President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said in a post on X, adding that cooperation to strengthen Ukraine's air defences was a priority.
U.S. President Donald Trump said the war with Iran was close to over, telling the world to brace for an "amazing two days", as the army chief of mediator Pakistan arrived in Tehran in a bid to prevent a renewed conflict. The diplomatic push came as U.S. and Iranian officials weighed a return to Pakistan for further talks after negotiations there ended on Sunday without a breakthrough. Pakistan's military confirmed Field Marshal Asim Munir had arrived in Tehran. A senior Iranian source told Reuters that Munir, who had mediated the last round of talks, was heading to Iran "to narrow gaps" between the two sides.
Le grand patron de Québecor, Vidéotron et TVA, qui est propriétaire notamment des Alouettes de Montréal, de Taxelco et de Starlink Aviation, propose l’acquisition de Colabor par l’entremise de la Financière Outremont, sa société d’investissement personnelle. S’il faut s’attendre à ce qu’il s’implique personnellement un minimum dans la relance de Colabor, il affirme que des gens de confiance à la Financière Outremont vont travailler avec l’équipe de direction en place chez Colabor pour « bien s’assurer de la juste orientation de l’entreprise » selon des critères « de rentabilité et d’investissement ». « Je ne serai pas président de Colabor. J’ai une équipe assez solide avec André Brosseau, Louis-François Hogue et Josée Leblanc. Ils ont mené le dossier Colabor du début à la fin », dit Pierre Karl Péladeau.
Airbus named Spanish national Amparo Moraleda as the next chair of its board on Tuesday, marking the first time in the European aerospace giant's more than five-decade history that the role will be held by someone who is neither French nor German. France and Germany each own 10.8% of Airbus and have long dominated the company's upper echelons. The Spanish government holds a 4.1% stake. Moraleda, who currently serves as lead independent director on the Airbus board, will assume the role in October, succeeding René Obermann, who decided not to seek a new term. The appointment was approved by shareholders gathered at the company's annual general meeting in Amsterdam on Tuesday.
À peine une semaine après le départ précipité de sa PDG, le vice-président exécutif aux finances et technologies de l’Administration portuaire de Montréal quitte également ses fonctions, s’inscrivant dans un exode qui soulève des questions quant à l’orientation et à la gouvernance du deuxième plus grand port du pays. Alexandra Langelier, vice-présidente exécutive de l’Institut pour la gouvernance d’organisations privées et publiques (IGOPP), a souligné que ces départs soudains de cadres ont plongé l’organisation dans une situation de «gestion de crise», alors qu’elle s’efforce de combler les vides. «Il est très difficile de recruter quelqu’un capable d’assumer ce rôle. Cela prend du temps et nécessite un plan de succession. Et pour le PDG, nous comprenons qu’il n’y avait pas de plan de succession, car c’est le conseil d’administration qui a pris les rênes.» Mme Langelier a ajouté que le comité du conseil d’administration devrait constituer une «solution à très court terme» pour combler le vide de direction créé par le départ des dirigeants.
Shareholders in Monte dei Paschi di Siena vote on Wednesday to decide a boardroom battle pitting ousted boss Luigi Lovaglio against a rival CEO candidate picked by the bank's outgoing directors, Fabrizio Palermo. The CEO contest at Monte dei Paschi (MPS) could shape the next phase of consolidation in Italy's banking sector, as Lovaglio has repeatedly said he was preparing for further mergers and acquisitions by the bank. Rescued by the state in 2017 and re-privatised in 2023-2024, MPS last year took over Mediobanca to become the main investor in insurance group Generali, a trophy asset in Italian finance.
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Europe has only roughly six weeks of jet-fuel supply left and could soon face flight cancellations as the war in Iran strains global markets, said Fatih Birol, executive director of the International Energy Agency. “I can tell you soon we will hear the news that some of the flights from city A to city B might be canceled as a result of lack of jet fuel” if the Strait of Hormuz isn’t fully reopened, he said in an interview with the Associated Press on Thursday. The Middle East supplies around a fifth of the world’s jet fuel, a refined form of kerosene that can withstand freezing temperatures at cruise altitudes. But with producers locked out of Hormuz, prices have surged to more than $200 a barrel, forcing airlines to trim schedules and add surcharges.
The future direction of corporate disclosure in the United States continues to face uncertainty as litigation holds up California’s enforcement of major new climate reporting requirements. In what supporters are describing as a “test case” for environmental transparency, judges in the San Francisco-based 9th Circuit Court of Appeals are currently considering a protracted lawsuit against California’s Climate-Related Financial Risk Act. The legislation, known as SB 261, requires corporations with over $500 million in annual revenues to biennially report on climate-related financial risks and mitigation strategies. Implementation of the law, which was due to have come into force on January 1 this year, is on hold pending a legal decision.
A rebound in Canadian auto production in February helped drive higher manufacturing and wholesale sales for the month. Factory shipments rose a solid 3.6% from the month before to a seasonally adjusted 71.19 billion Canadian dollars, the equivalent of about US$51.7 billion, Statistics Canada said Wednesday. The result was slightly softer than the data agency’s flash forecast for monthly rise of 3.8%, but followed a slightly bigger than previously estimated 3.1% drop in sales in the first month of the year. Wholesale activity similarly recovered for the month, with sales rising 2% during February to C$86.77 billion, the national data agency said. That advance also was slightly weaker than the advance forecast for a 2.3% increase and came after sales dropped 1.1% to begin 2026.
Canadian companies using Amazon to pick, pack and ship goods will have to start paying a new surcharge because of rising fuel costs. The e-commerce giant says the 3.5 per cent surcharge on fulfillment fees will take effect on Friday. It will only apply to companies using its fulfilment program and will be charged to the business, not consumers buying products on Amazon. Spokesperson Andrew Gouveia says Amazon felt the surcharge was necessary to implement to partially recover some of the elevated fuel and logistics costs it was experiencing. Up until now, Gouveia says Amazon was absorbing the increases. Gas prices have soared in the wake of the war in the Middle East, which has blocked the Strait of Hormuz, a key fuel passageway.
Choice Properties REIT and KingSett Capital, a private real estate firm, are teaming up to buy First Capital REIT for $5.2-billion. Based in Toronto, First Capital’s retail-focused real estate portfolio is largely made up of open-air shopping centres in major cities, and the vast majority of them are anchored by a grocery store. In total, First Capital’s portfolio value amounts to $9.4-billion, which includes debt. Choice and KingSett are splitting this portfolio, with Choice buying $5-billion worth of properties and KingSett buying $4.4-billion worth of properties.
Shareholder proxy proposals have hit a five-year low as environmental and social resolutions experience a prolonged decline amid the US regulator’s efforts to limit investor activism. At Russell 3000 companies with annual meeting dates between January 1 and May 15, shareholder proposals fell 17 per cent from the same period last year, according to a report shared exclusively by ISS-Corporate. The drop was largely driven by a fall in environmental and social proposals amid a political environment that has turned against diversity and climate commitments. Changes at the Securities and Exchange Commission have also created more uncertainty, including the agency’s decision to step back as a mediator between companies and shareholders during proxy season, which has given businesses greater discretion over whether to exclude investor proposals.
Elliott Investment Management said on Thursday it has taken a stake in Daikin and thinks the manufacturer of air conditioners should improve margins and shareholder returns and review non-core assets. Elliott did not provide further details on the stake. A person familiar with the matter said Elliott's stake is around 3% and that it believes Daikin should do more to integrate its businesses, institute a share buyback programme and refocus on its core air conditioner operations. Daikin has the capacity to allocate 1 trillion yen ($6.30 billion) to buybacks over the medium term, the person said. Daikin said it was aware Elliott had taken a stake but declined to comment further.
President Donald Trump on Wednesday threatened to fire Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell from his separate seat on the U.S. central bank's Board of Governors if Powell does not vacate that post as well when his term as Fed chief ends on May 15, intensifying a complicated standoff that has upended the Fed's usually smooth transition of power. Trump administration threats against Powell, including an ongoing criminal investigation, could delay Senate confirmation of Kevin Warsh as Trump's nominee to succeed Powell as Fed chief, but the president in a Fox Business interview doubled down on the probe as a way to prove Powell's "incompetence" and said if he doesn't leave altogether, "then I'll have to fire him." "You want Jay Powell out of the way?" the president was asked by Fox Business host Maria Bartiromo. "If he's not leaving on time - I've held back firing him, I've wanted to fire him, but I hate to be controversial, you know. I want to be uncontroversial, but he will be fired," Trump responded. He gave no indication that U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro would back down from investigating a Fed building project the administration has criticized for cost overruns.
Aurora Cannabis Inc. has bought Safari Flower Co. in a stock-and-cash deal valued at $26.5 million. The acquisition includes a $2-million cash payment that is contingent on satisfaction of certain conditions. Aurora says Safari Flower has an EU GMP certified indoor cultivation and manufacturing facility in Ontario. It says the deal that will increase its capacity to supply key international markets, including Germany, Australia, Poland, and the United Kingdom, and support further market expansion. Aurora executive chair and chief executive Miguel Martin says the acquisition of Safari Flower marks an important milestone as the company looks to grow its international medical cannabis business.
« Pour être clair, la réduction aujourd’hui de la taxe d’accise sur les carburants est une mesure responsable et temporaire, conforme à ce qu’il faut pour bâtir une économie plus forte et plus abordable, associée à une saine gestion budgétaire », a déclaré le premier ministre moins de 24 heures après avoir réussi à obtenir un gouvernement majoritaire. M. Carney a assuré mardi qu’il allait tenir compte du point de vue des partis de l’opposition, mais il a nié s’être inspiré des conservateurs pour la suspension de la taxe d’accise de 10 cents sur l’essence et celle de 4 cents le litre sur le diesel. Cette mesure touchera également les carburants utilisés en aviation.Les conservateurs réclament l’abolition de la taxe d’accise sur l’essence jusqu’à la fin de l’année, mais également de la taxe sur les produits et services (TPS) de 5 % et l’abolition du Règlement sur les combustibles propres, en vigueur depuis 2023. Un rapport du directeur parlementaire du budget estime qu’une réduction obligatoire de l’intensité en carbone du carburant ajoute 7 cents au litre d’essence en 2026. Une économie totale de 25 cents le litre, selon leurs calculs.
Barely a week after the abrupt departure of its CEO, the Montreal Port Authority confirmed its chief financial officer is leaving as well, part of an exodus that raises questions about the direction and governance of the country’s second-largest port — and Ottawa is seeking answers. Alexandra Langelier, executive vice-president at the Institute for the Governance of Private and Public Organizations, agreed that the sudden executive departures have left the organization in "crisis management" as it scrambles to fill the gaps. “It’s very difficult to recruit somebody that could do this role. It takes time and it takes a succession plan. And for the CEO, we understand that there was no succession plan, because the board stepped in to manage.” Langelier said the board committee should be a "very short-term solution" for the leadership vacuum created by the outbound executives. "They left and there's a huge, huge project right now," she said.
L’exode des dirigeants au Port de Montréal, qui se prépare à s’endetter à des niveaux inédits pour financer son expansion, fait des vagues jusqu’à Ottawa. Un comité parlementaire veut entendre l’ex-dirigeante Julie Gascon – éjectée de son poste – et deux autres anciens vice-présidents pour faire la lumière sur ce qui a les allures d’une « crise ». « Perdre une présidente-directrice générale et un chef des finances en même temps, c’est une rude épreuve pour toute organisation », a souligné à La Presse le directeur de l’Institut sur la gouvernance d’organisations privées et publiques (IGOPP), François Dauphin. Selon l’expert, un important « test de crédibilité » attend Mme Pilon et le reste du C.A. – le groupe qui avait embauché Julie Gascon.
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