Employers added 275,000 jobs in February, the Labor Department reported Friday, in another month that exceeded expectations.
It was the third straight month of gains above 200,000, and the 38th consecutive month of growth — fresh evidence that after surging back from the pandemic shutdowns, America’s jobs engine still has plenty of steam.
…
Average hourly earnings rose by 4.3 percent over the year, although the pace of increases has been fading.
… and in the frozen North:
Canada’s labour market is getting a helping hand from population growth as the economy added 41,000 jobs in February.
Statistics Canada also reported on Friday that the unemployment rate ticked up to 5.8 per cent.
Job gains, which were driven by full-time employment, were spread across several industries in the services-producing sector, with the strongest growth in accommodation and food services.
The February increase comes after similar stronger-than-expected job gains in January.
…
Meanwhile, wages continue to grow rapidly in Canada. Average hourly wages were up 5 per cent from a year ago, down from a rate of 5.3 per cent in January.
| HIMIPref™ Preferred Indices These values reflect the December 2008 revision of the HIMIPref™ Indices Values are provisional and are finalized monthly |
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| Index | Mean Current Yield (at bid) |
Median YTW |
Median Average Trading Value |
Median Mod Dur (YTW) |
Issues | Day’s Perf. | Index Value |
| Ratchet | 0.00 % | 0.00 % | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 0.4065 % | 2,358.5 |
| FixedFloater | 0.00 % | 0.00 % | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 0.4065 % | 4,523.7 |
| Floater | 10.20 % | 10.54 % | 41,978 | 9.00 | 1 | 0.4065 % | 2,607.0 |
| OpRet | 0.00 % | 0.00 % | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 0.2964 % | 3,403.8 |
| SplitShare | 4.95 % | 7.19 % | 45,712 | 1.86 | 7 | 0.2964 % | 4,064.9 |
| Interest-Bearing | 0.00 % | 0.00 % | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 0.2964 % | 3,171.6 |
| Perpetual-Premium | 0.00 % | 0.00 % | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | -0.0016 % | 2,644.6 |
| Perpetual-Discount | 6.50 % | 6.68 % | 48,274 | 12.89 | 31 | -0.0016 % | 2,883.8 |
| FixedReset Disc | 5.45 % | 7.12 % | 106,998 | 12.48 | 59 | -0.1556 % | 2,425.4 |
| Insurance Straight | 6.32 % | 6.49 % | 52,321 | 13.29 | 22 | -0.0669 % | 2,845.1 |
| FloatingReset | 9.93 % | 10.09 % | 31,919 | 9.41 | 3 | -0.0754 % | 2,598.4 |
| FixedReset Prem | 7.03 % | 6.94 % | 158,256 | 12.40 | 1 | 0.0000 % | 2,484.5 |
| FixedReset Bank Non | 0.00 % | 0.00 % | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | -0.1556 % | 2,479.3 |
| FixedReset Ins Non | 5.50 % | 7.08 % | 75,577 | 12.56 | 14 | 0.3449 % | 2,583.6 |
| Performance Highlights | |||
| Issue | Index | Change | Notes |
| BMO.PR.Y | FixedReset Disc | -6.28 % | YTW SCENARIO Maturity Type : Limit Maturity Maturity Date : 2054-03-08 Maturity Price : 20.01 Evaluated at bid price : 20.01 Bid-YTW : 7.40 % |
| MFC.PR.B | Insurance Straight | -1.81 % | YTW SCENARIO Maturity Type : Limit Maturity Maturity Date : 2054-03-08 Maturity Price : 18.99 Evaluated at bid price : 18.99 Bid-YTW : 6.15 % |
| CU.PR.I | FixedReset Disc | -1.51 % | YTW SCENARIO Maturity Type : Limit Maturity Maturity Date : 2054-03-08 Maturity Price : 21.71 Evaluated at bid price : 22.16 Bid-YTW : 7.76 % |
| ELF.PR.H | Perpetual-Discount | -1.30 % | YTW SCENARIO Maturity Type : Limit Maturity Maturity Date : 2054-03-08 Maturity Price : 21.26 Evaluated at bid price : 21.26 Bid-YTW : 6.59 % |
| SLF.PR.H | FixedReset Ins Non | 1.08 % | YTW SCENARIO Maturity Type : Limit Maturity Maturity Date : 2054-03-08 Maturity Price : 18.70 Evaluated at bid price : 18.70 Bid-YTW : 6.95 % |
| FTS.PR.H | FixedReset Disc | 1.22 % | YTW SCENARIO Maturity Type : Limit Maturity Maturity Date : 2054-03-08 Maturity Price : 14.15 Evaluated at bid price : 14.15 Bid-YTW : 8.29 % |
| IFC.PR.E | Insurance Straight | 1.34 % | YTW SCENARIO Maturity Type : Limit Maturity Maturity Date : 2054-03-08 Maturity Price : 20.42 Evaluated at bid price : 20.42 Bid-YTW : 6.51 % |
| FFH.PR.G | FixedReset Disc | 1.45 % | YTW SCENARIO Maturity Type : Limit Maturity Maturity Date : 2054-03-08 Maturity Price : 16.74 Evaluated at bid price : 16.74 Bid-YTW : 8.62 % |
| IFC.PR.A | FixedReset Ins Non | 3.17 % | YTW SCENARIO Maturity Type : Limit Maturity Maturity Date : 2054-03-08 Maturity Price : 18.57 Evaluated at bid price : 18.57 Bid-YTW : 7.01 % |
| Volume Highlights | |||
| Issue | Index | Shares Traded |
Notes |
| BMO.PR.S | FixedReset Disc | 116,800 | YTW SCENARIO Maturity Type : Limit Maturity Maturity Date : 2054-03-08 Maturity Price : 22.65 Evaluated at bid price : 23.75 Bid-YTW : 6.09 % |
| BMO.PR.Y | FixedReset Disc | 90,000 | YTW SCENARIO Maturity Type : Limit Maturity Maturity Date : 2054-03-08 Maturity Price : 20.01 Evaluated at bid price : 20.01 Bid-YTW : 7.40 % |
| FTS.PR.M | FixedReset Disc | 51,000 | YTW SCENARIO Maturity Type : Limit Maturity Maturity Date : 2054-03-08 Maturity Price : 18.60 Evaluated at bid price : 18.60 Bid-YTW : 7.94 % |
| GWO.PR.N | FixedReset Ins Non | 50,800 | YTW SCENARIO Maturity Type : Limit Maturity Maturity Date : 2054-03-08 Maturity Price : 13.71 Evaluated at bid price : 13.71 Bid-YTW : 8.01 % |
| GWO.PR.G | Insurance Straight | 34,400 | YTW SCENARIO Maturity Type : Limit Maturity Maturity Date : 2054-03-08 Maturity Price : 20.07 Evaluated at bid price : 20.07 Bid-YTW : 6.50 % |
| PWF.PR.E | Perpetual-Discount | 30,400 | YTW SCENARIO Maturity Type : Limit Maturity Maturity Date : 2054-03-08 Maturity Price : 20.80 Evaluated at bid price : 20.80 Bid-YTW : 6.72 % |
| There were 7 other index-included issues trading in excess of 10,000 shares. | |||
| Wide Spread Highlights | ||
| Issue | Index | Quote Data and Yield Notes |
| BMO.PR.Y | FixedReset Disc | Quote: 20.01 – 21.65 Spot Rate : 1.6400 Average : 1.1706 YTW SCENARIO |
| MFC.PR.N | FixedReset Ins Non | Quote: 19.22 – 20.25 Spot Rate : 1.0300 Average : 0.6437 YTW SCENARIO |
| TD.PF.A | FixedReset Disc | Quote: 20.50 – 23.07 Spot Rate : 2.5700 Average : 2.1971 YTW SCENARIO |
| BN.PR.R | FixedReset Disc | Quote: 14.90 – 15.70 Spot Rate : 0.8000 Average : 0.5100 YTW SCENARIO |
| TD.PF.J | FixedReset Disc | Quote: 22.70 – 23.58 Spot Rate : 0.8800 Average : 0.5991 YTW SCENARIO |
| GWO.PR.P | Insurance Straight | Quote: 20.15 – 20.78 Spot Rate : 0.6300 Average : 0.4244 YTW SCENARIO |