Lower Oil Prices Reduce Market Expectations of Central Banks Rate Hikes, Including Canada, Says BMO

BY MT Newswires | ECONOMIC | 11:10 AM EDT

11:10 AM EDT, 06/17/2026 (MT Newswires) -- Many fixed-income markets have been "rigidly" trading almost tick-for-tick with oil prices since the Iran conflict began, said Bank of Montreal (BMO).

In turn, this implies that markets had been pricing in much higher odds of rate hikes in a variety of economies,

including the United States and Canada, until now, noted the bank.

While not completely washed away just yet, the pullback in oil is steadily grinding down those rate-hike expectations as broadly captured by two-year Government of Canada (GoC) bond yields, stated BMO.

The bank's view is that those rate-hike expectations should eventually fully be erased, at least in Canada, should oil prices stay down. Gross domestic product and hours worked have both dropped over the past year, core inflation is on target at 2%, and USMCA trade review uncertainty lingers.

That's no environment for rate hikes, added BMO.

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In general the bond market is volatile, and fixed income securities carry interest rate risk. (As interest rates rise, bond prices usually fall, and vice versa. This effect is usually more pronounced for longer-term securities.) Fixed income securities also carry inflation risk and credit and default risks for both issuers and counterparties. Unlike individual bonds, most bond funds do not have a maturity date, so avoiding losses caused by price volatility by holding them until maturity is not possible.

Lower-quality debt securities generally offer higher yields, but also involve greater risk of default or price changes due to potential changes in the credit quality of the issuer. Any fixed income security sold or redeemed prior to maturity may be subject to loss.

Before investing, consider the funds' investment objectives, risks, charges, and expenses. Contact Fidelity for a prospectus or, if available, a summary prospectus containing this information. Read it carefully.

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