Five things to watch for in the Canadian business world in the coming week

TORONTO — Five things to watch for in the Canadian business world in the coming week:

Carney travels

Prime Minister Mark Carney will continue his trip that began last week with a visit to China. He is expected to travel from Doha, Qatar, to Switzerland on Monday for the World Economic Forum in Davos. Carney is set to give a speech Tuesday outlining his vision for Canada in the world, while he’ll be a special speaker at a session for investors on Wednesday.

Bank of Canada

The Bank of Canada is set to release its quarterly business outlook survey and its Canadian survey of consumer expectations on Monday. The reports come ahead of the central bank’s next interest rate announcement and monetary policy report scheduled for Jan. 28.

Inflation

Statistics Canada is expected to release its latest reading for inflation on Monday when it publishes its consumer price index for December. The annual inflation rate was 2.2 per cent in November as increases in the prices for groceries outpaced the overall inflation rate, and economists expect that pace continued.

Investor conference

CIBC will hold its annual Western Institutional Investor Conference in Whistler, B.C., starting on Wednesday. The gathering will hear from top executives from a range of Canadian companies talk about their prospects headed into 2026 as the free trade agreement between Canada, the United States and Mexico faces formal review and geopolitical concerns continue.

Retail sales

Statistics Canada is expected to release its retail trade figures for November on Friday, giving a look at spending heading into the holiday period. The agency’s early estimate released last month suggested retail sales rose 1.2 per cent for November. Retail sales in October fell 0.2 per cent to $69.4 billion.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 18, 2026.

The Canadian Press