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

Starting strong: A financial checklist for new grads

Graduating from university marks the beginning of a new chapter; one filled with opportunities to pursue your career goals and chase your personal dreams....

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Weekly Strategy Perspectives: Between the Lines: What to Watch for This Earnings Season

Earnings season is here (finally), providing the potential for keen insights into important macro themes. While AI can easily spit out summaries of the action, it’s the nuance of what’s not said....

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Geopolitics, inflation and the resiliency of markets

Geopolitics, persistent inflation, tariffs and rising government debt continue to shape the economic outlook across Canada, the U.S. and global markets. Yet despite heightened uncertainty and volatility, markets have proven remarkably resilient....

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Weekly Strategy Perspectives: Industrial Renaissance

AI and the infrastructure needed to support its development and use have dominated much of the narrative – and stock market performance – since the release of ChatGPT in November 2022....

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Middle East Conflict: Revisiting Investment Strategies and Geopolitical Risk

Markets have been resilient to volatility created by the Middle East conflict, but the effects on energy costs, supply chains and inflation are still working their way through the system....

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Weekly Strategy Perspectives: Portrait of the Consumer

Personal consumption represents the largest single component of economic activity in both the U.S. and Canada, yet key factors that influence it are frequently mischaracterized or misjudged....

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Global Trade Outlook: Tariff Risks and Energy Shock

Steve Verheul, Former Chief Trade Negotiator for Canada, will join a panel of BMO experts to share insights on the trade outlook and how businesses and investors can prepare....

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Weekly Strategy Perspectives: Bonds Behaving Badly

Fixed income markets have had a rough go of it in the last couple months....

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Middle East Conflict: Economic and Market Ripple Effects

Geopolitical tensions in the Middle East and significant energy supply disruptions are reshaping the global economic and market landscape....

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Weekly Strategy Perspectives: Global Policy Pivot – What Game Are We Playing?

From the day Donald Trump took the presidential oath of office for his second term, substantial changes impacting the global order were set in motion....

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