Welcome to The Globe and Mail’s business and investing news quiz. Join us each week to test your knowledge of the stories making the headlines. Our business reporters come up with the questions, and you can show us what you know.
This week: It was a wild week for Canadian banks as the country’s biggest reported fourth-quarter financial results. Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce, Royal Bank of Canada and National Bank of Canada all posted profits that beat analyst estimates. Meanwhile, Toronto-Dominion Bank, Bank of Montreal and Bank of Nova Scotia posted earnings that missed analyst estimates. Perhaps the wildest results came from TD, which pled guilty this fall to conspiracy to commit money laundering and must pay a penalty of more than US$3-billion and address strict requirements to resolve the issues. TD said it is suspending its medium-term financial targets as it focuses on fixing its risk and controls infrastructure. But it wasn’t just Canadian banks that had a wild week. Take our quiz to learn more.
c. To prepare for the company’s annual investor conference. Police say Mr. Thompson was killed by a gunman lying in wait for him. The attack took place just before the company’s annual investor conference.
a. Yoon Suk Yeol. Mr. Yoon, who was deeply unpopular and facing treason allegations imposed martial law for six hours before legislators overturned his decision. He then rescinded his order.
d. France. Prime Minister Michel Barnier resigned after opposition lawmakers voted to topple his government. This is the first time a French government has been defeated by a censure motion since 1962 and reflects the deep disagreement in the country over how France should address its budget shortfall.
b. Countries that try to undermine the U.S. dollar. Mr. Trump said he would levy the 100 per cent tariffs against the nine countries in the BRIC alliance – Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran and the United Arab Emirates – if they tried to introduce a BRIC currency that would allow them to avoid using the U.S. dollar for international transactions.
d. All of the above. The report from Auditor-General Shelley Spence says the process used to award a 95-year lease to an Austrian company was not “fair, transparent or accountable to all participants” and broke the province’s own rules. The project is now set to cost taxpayers $2.24-billion, about $1.8-billion more than the province’s original internal estimates.
a. About $6 an hour. Drivers on ride-hailing apps in Toronto earned an average of $5.97 an hour after accounting for their vehicle costs and their time spent waiting for passengers, according to a City of Toronto report.
b. Carry-on bags and seat selection. Starting Jan. 3, Air Canada will bar carry-on bags for basic fare passengers within North America and to sun destinations. They will have to check duffel bags, rolling suitcases and large backpacks and pay a fee. However, a small personal item, such as a purse or laptop bag will still be allowed on board for free, as will strollers, mobility aids and medical devices. Starting Jan. 21, lower-tier customers will also have to pay if they want to change the seat assigned to them at check-in.
d. All of the above. Yep, it’s the everything boom. Most major U.S. and Canadian stock indexes have hit record highs recently.
c. US$100,000. Bitcoin has been on fire since the U.S. election as investors bet that a Trump administration will embrace crypto. The latest surge came after Mr. Trump nominated pro-crypto Paul Atkins to run the Securities and Exchange Commission.
a. Stellantis chief executive Carlos Tavares resigned abruptly on Sunday, two months after the company issued a profit warning. The maker of Jeep, Fiat and Peugeot cars has lost around 40 per cent of its value this year.
d. Intel chief executive Pat Gelsinger was forced out less than four years after taking the helm of the computer-chip maker. He resigned after a board meeting during which directors signalled they no longer felt confidence in his costly plan to restore Intel’s technological lead in making fast, small chips.
b. The Bible. The good book has enjoyed a surprising burst of sales this year. Why? No one is quite sure. Perhaps it’s a search for reassurance in an age of anxiety. Or perhaps it’s improved marketing. Publishers are offering a dizzying array of Bibles, including graphic-novel versions and editions aimed specifically at men or young readers.