Global equities ended the session in a patchwork pattern as investors balanced sticky inflation fears against a fresh burst of enthusiasm for artificial intelligence-related stocks, while North American data and corporate results continued to paint a mixed picture of the economic outlook. In Canada, the TSX was little changed as weakness in energy offset a recovery in financial shares, with traders still reluctant to take strong directional bets amid macro uncertainty and sensitive valuations. Reuters reported that Canadian retail sales rose 0.7% in February to C$72.06 billion, helped by motor vehicle and parts dealers, although the gain fell short of expectations and suggested consumer demand is still holding up only unevenly. Capital Economics said the broader trend points to softer sales volumes ahead, with the flash estimate for March implying that rising fuel costs could further squeeze households.

Source: Noah Wire Services