Douglas Porter

Chief Economist and Managing Director Economics

Douglas Porter has over 30 years of experience analyzing global economies and financial markets. As Chief Economist at BMO Financial Group and author of the popular Talking Points, he oversees the macroeconomic and financial market forecasts and co-writes the firm’s weekly flagship publication, Focus. Mr. Porter manages the team that has won numerous forecasting awards. Most recently, Douglas led the team to a #1 ranking for Top U.S. Forecaster among 60 global firms in the 2023 Focus Economics Survey, and #1 for Top Canadian Inflation Forecaster among 28 firms. Also, his team took the #1 spot in the StarMine Awards for Most Accurate Forecasters for Canada in 2022.

As a respected commentator on economic and financial trends, he is regularly quoted in the national press and often interviewed on radio and television.

Focus

Focus is the flagship publication of the BMO Economics team. This weekly publication covers major economic developments, provides updated forecasts, looks ahead to the key events of the upcoming week, and provides detailed insights into key economic issues.
Focus

Global Markets Commentary

Our experts provide an overview of recent global events and their impact on the markets.
Global Markets Commentary

Global Trade Outlook: The USMCA and Beyond

Trade uncertainty in North America is here to stay for a while....

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Weekly Strategy Perspectives: Musings on the State of the AI Trade

Attention has quickly reverted to “all things AI” now that oil is once again flowing through the Strait of Hormuz and a path toward stabilization of the Mideast conflict is in sight....

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Reinventing Jobs in the Age of Technological Transformation

There’s no doubt that a workplace transformation is underway as the discourse around generative AI’s impact on white-collar jobs and employment continues to heat up....

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USMCA Review to Focus on Enforcement, Supply Chains and Security

When USMCA was first signed, it was hailed by some as the most consequential trade agreement on the planet. Nearly a decade later, that agreement faces its first major test as it enters its first major review....

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Weekly Strategy Perspectives: Just the FAQs Part II – The Enigmatic Consumer

Many of the questions we’ve received from clients and colleagues during our recent travels relate to consumers....

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Weekly Strategy Perspectives: Just the FAQs Part I – Market Mayhem

Instead of the upbeat mood we typically expect after two months of persistently rising markets and sturdy economic fundamentals, we found widespread anxiety about a variety of issues....

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Weekly Strategy Perspectives: Profile of a Bubble (How Worried Should We Be?)

Equities pushed farther into uncharted terrain this week, exacerbating fears of an impending bubble....

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Weekly Strategy Perspectives: Great (Inflation) Expectations – Part II

Investors looking for resolution of the creative tension between cheerful equity markets and fretting fixed income markets were stymied yet again this week....

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Weekly Strategy Perspectives: Great (Inflation) Expectations – Part I

Last week’s toasty reads on U.S. consumer and business inflation nudged both bond yields and investor anxiety higher....

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Planning for the family vacation property

Designing a succession plan for the future ownership of your family vacation property can be challenging, especially because these properties often hold tremendous sentimental and monetary value....

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