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Trade
Wholesale trade rebound fails to reverse Q1 decline

OTTAWA - Wholesalers recorded a second straight quarterly sales decline despite a modest rebound in March. Statistics Canada reports wholesale sales increased by about 0.6 per cent to $42.7 billion in March, helped by higher deliveries of building supplies, machinery and electronic equipment. Sales fell 0.8 per cent in the first quarter, after a 0.3 per cent decline in the fourth quarter of 2007. With price fluctuations, sales volume edged down 0.1 per cent.

Finance

Foreign interest in Canadian securities continues to grow

OTTAWA - Foreign acquisitions of Canadian securities reached $5.3 billion in March, the highest level since March 2007. Meanwhile, Canadian investors divested some foreign securities, all in debt instruments as Canadian holdings of foreign securities declined by $3.3 billion. Non-resident investors added a net $5.9 billion of Canadian equities to their portfolios, the largest such outlay since May 2006. Purchases were focused in the banking sector.

Economy

Travel to Canada hits record low for fifth straight month

OTTAWA - Travel to Canada hit a record low for the fifth straight month in March, following big declines in both same-day car trips from the United States and the number of visitors from overseas nations. Statistics Canada reports foreign visitors made 2.3 million trips to Canada in March, the lowest since record keeping started in 1972. That's a one per cent decline from February, and a 12.4 per cent drop from a year earlier.