Gauge for goods sold at retail outlets in the past month. Retail Sales is a leading indicator for the economy. Rising consumer spending fuels economic growth, confirms signals from consumer confidence, and may spark inflationary pressures.

The headline figure is expressed as the percentage change from the same month last year.

The decision to increase, decrease, or maintain the bank set interest rate. A decision to lower rates can spur economic growth while inciting inflationary pressures, whereas rate increases tend to slow down inflation but stymie growth. The Bank of Canada has an inflation target of 1-3%, and they change interest rates accordingly to meet that goal. The Bank of Canada's rate decision has significant influence on financial markets. Changes in rates have direct impact on interest rates for consumer loans, mortgages and bond rates. The BOC issues a statement with every rate announcement. Because the decision itself is usually highly anticipated, the wording of the BOC statement is usually as important if not even more important than the actual interest rate move made by the central bank. The statement contains the Bank's collective outlook on the economy as well as hints about future monetary policy while the change to interest rates is nothing more than a number. The statement provides clues on plans for the future. When it comes to interest rates, the future direction of rates is usually far more important than its current rate

This is a report which measures the difference in value between the federal government's income and spending during the previous month.