1021 ET - The Bank of Canada stayed as neutral as possible in its rate-policy announcement, offering no hint on the timing or direction of its next move, says Avery Shenfeld, chief economist at CIBC Capital Markets. BOC left its policy rate unchanged at 2.25%, and delivers a class two-sided economic analysis, Shenfeld says. On the one hand, BOC says risks to growth are tilted to the downside, while also emphasizing the risk posed by higher energy prices on inflation. The BOC signals the implications from the energy-price shock "will depend critically on how long it persists, which simply is unknowable at this point," Shenfeld adds. (paul.vieira@wsj.com; @paulvieira)

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

March 18, 2026 10:21 ET (14:21 GMT)

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