Upgrades

• National Bank Financial analyst Cameron Doerksen has issued a cautious outlook on Bombardier Inc. (BBD.B-T) ahead of its second-quarter financial results. • While Doerksen acknowledges that market conditions remain strong and a weaker Canadian dollar has likely boosted the stock, he warns that the company's valuation is now "looking elevated." • This assessment matters as it suggests the stock may have become overpriced despite positive end-market trends and strong earnings potential.

July update projects GDP growth of 1% this year, making UK the third fastest-growing economy in the G7The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has upgraded its growth forecast for the UK, while leaving those for other G7 countries weaker or unchanged, amid hopes the economic impact of the Iran war may be less severe than feared.In a July update of its World Economic Outlook, which was finalised before the latest outbreak of hostilities in the Middle East, the Washington-based organisation projected UK gross domestic product to grow by 1% this year – up 0.2 percentage points from its April forecast. Continue reading...

• CIBC analyst Paul Holden resumed coverage of EQB Inc. (EQB-T) following the completion of the company's $800-million acquisition of PC Financial. • Holden raised the price target for EQB Inc. to $151, up from $116, and assigned the stock an "outperformer" rating. • This upgrade represents the highest target for the stock on the Street, despite acknowledged challenges to near-term earnings caused by Canadian consumer credit pressure.

• National Bank Financial analyst Vishal Shreedhar expects Aritzia Inc. (ATZ-T) to show "accelerating momentum" in its upcoming financial reports. • The analyst projects earnings per share of 87 cents for the first quarter of fiscal 2027, a significant increase from the 42 cents reported during the same period last year. • This projection is slightly lower than the broader Street forecast by one penny, but indicates strong growth for the fashion retailer.

• Major tech firms including OpenAI, Google, Nvidia, Apple, Meta, and Oracle led a week of significant AI upgrades and corporate restructuring. • Tata Electronics confirmed a massive ransomware attack resulting in the leak of 630 GB of data, which included over 200,000 files and trade secrets from Apple and Tesla. • LastPass suffered a supply-chain breach via Klue, exposing customer contact and support data and highlighting the vulnerabilities of shared credentials in SaaS ecosystems.

Owners’ lack of motivation due to ‘split incentive’ is main reason rental properties are missing out on energy upgrades, research findsGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastRenters make up nearly a third of Australian households, yet many are missing out on energy upgrades – such as insulation, appliances and rooftop solar – that could slash their power bills and improve home comfort.The problem, according to the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA), is landlords’ lack of motivation. Continue reading...

NSW government urged to investigate if transport department refused to share cost of sensors that would detect a person entering coupling areaFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe potentially life-saving safety upgrades to Sydney’s light rail, which a former Transdev employee has alleged were cancelled in order to save money, would have only cost about $2.2m, according to the whistleblower.The New South Wales government has been urged to investigate whether its transport department declined to share the cost of installing sensors that would detect a person entering the coupling area between two joined trams after a fatal incident in 2023. Continue reading...