The era of surveillance: Driving change through innovation - LSEG

Published: October 23, 2026 at 1:40p.m. EDTDerek Lessard, analyst at TD Cowen, joins BNN Bloomberg to share his Hot Picks in consumer products. Recent share price weakness has put several consumer businesses under scrutiny. Auto repair, specialty food and bottled water offer opportunities for those looking beyond the recent declines. BNN Bloomberg spoke with Derek Lessard, analyst at TD Cowen, about his picks of Boyd Group Services, Premium Brands and Primo Brands, and why he believes their shares have room to recover. How to set BNN Bloomberg as your preferred source on GoogleKey TakeawaysLessard sees margin improvements, acquisition synergies and operating leverage as key earnings drivers for Boyd beyond same-store sales. Premium Brands’ completed capital spending program could support stronger free cash flow, while a potential distribution business sale could help reduce debt. Limited-time offers have added sales volatility at Premium Brands, but Lessard says underlying demand remains strong. Lessard believes Primo Brands’ merger integration challenges are behind it, with retail market share gains supporting its recovery prospects.

Published: October 23, 2026 at 1:31p.m. EDTOTTAWA — Canada and the EU are continuing negotiations on a digital trade agreement that would make it easier for businesses to buy and sell across borders. International Trade Minister Maninder Sidhu was in Ireland on Thursday to push forward negotiations ahead of next week’s Canada-EU Summit in Montreal. In a statement, Sidhu says Canada and the EU are “closing in on an agreement” to help “create less friction” around e-signatures and e-contracts, paperless trade, secure cross-border data flows, duties on electronic transmissions and e-commerce. Sidhu says Canada exported nearly $15 billion in digital services to the EU in 2024 and there is an opportunity now to grow that further with an agreement in place. Prime Minister Mark Carney has been working on establishing closer links with Europe, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has suggested Canada could become the first associate member of the European Union. The two sides are expected to announce the next steps in the deepening partnership at the Canada-EU Summit. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 23, 2026.

Published: October 23, 2026 at 1:11p.m. EDTTim Regan, managing director at Kingwest & Company, shares his outlook on North American Large Caps. Tim Regan, Managing Director, Kingwest & CompanyFocus: North American Large CapsTop Picks: GFL Environmental, Citigroup, Thomson ReutersMARKET OUTLOOK:The stock market has become concentrated. Research by Apollo Global Management found that about 23 artificial intelligence (AI) and energy stocks drove the S&P 500’s return this year while the other 477 companies collectively returned zero per cent. In the United States, enterprise is awake. The investment in AI is real. The uncertainty is who will earn an adequate return on it. Semiconductor share prices already reflect substantial expectations for future growth. That makes their value difficult to assess with confidence. We would rather miss part of a rising market than pay for economics we cannot yet see. Rising bond yields add another consideration. The 10-year US Treasury yield has risen from 4.21 to 5.29 per cent this year, raising borrowing costs, including for companies financing the AI build-out with debt. Rates are not high by historical standards.

Company NewsPublished: October 23, 2026 at 12:24p.m. EDTMcCain frozen potato wedges are seen in a store in Halifax, Friday, Oct. 23, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Devin Stevens FLORENCEVILLE-BRISTOL — An Illinois judge says a class-action lawsuit alleging two Canadian companies participated in a frozen potato price-fixing scheme in the U. S. can continue. New Brunswick’s McCain Foods Limited and J. D. Irving-owned Cavendish Farms were among five defendants seeking the case’s dismissal. The case began in 2024 with commercial and consumer plaintiffs alleging the companies conspired to increase the price of frozen french fries, tater tots and other products. They alleged the industry’s “good ol’ boys network” used a data analytics platform called PotatoTrack to share sales and pricing information. Cavendish Farms Cavendish Farms, in New London, P. E. I., is pictured on June 20, 2025. (CTV Atlantic / Josh Smith) The defendant companies, which together control about 98 per cent of the U. S. market, argued the case should be dismissed. Last month a U. S. judge allowed most claims under a federal antitrust law to continue, but rejected some claims made under the laws of various states.

Published: October 23, 2026 at 12:10p.m. EDTJohn Zechner, chairman and founder at J. Zechner Associates, joins BNN Bloomberg to discuss portfolio strategy amid market volatility. Rogers Communications beat third-quarter revenue and adjusted earnings expectations and reaffirmed its annual guidance. The results put the challenges facing Canada’s slower-growing wireless industry in focus. BNN Bloomberg spoke with John Zechner, chairman and founder at J. Zechner Associates, about telecom valuations, satellite competition and his recent portfolio changes across Canadian stocks. How to set BNN Bloomberg as your preferred source on GoogleKey TakeawaysLower capital spending could help telecom companies generate more free cash flow to reduce debt and support shareholder payouts. Zechner sees Starlink’s threat to Canadian urban wireless services as overstated and added to BCE, Rogers and Telus during recent weakness. Rogers’ sports holdings could provide another source of value through a planned monetization. Wider Canadian heavy oil discounts prompted Zechner to trim producers and consider light oil and natural gas opportunities.

Published: October 23, 2026 at 12:06p.m. EDTCTV News’ U. S. Political Analyst Eric Ham on why it’s ‘surprising’ Trump walked back his recent threats, while midterm prospects are ‘cratering’ for Republicans Eric Ham is based in Washington, D. C. and is a political analyst for CTV News. He’s a bestselling author and former congressional staffer and writes for CTVNews.ca. At a recent rally in Kansas, U. S. President Donald Trump reversed course on recent comments prohibiting Canadian contractor Bombardier from doing business in the U. S. as part of the ongoing trade war between the two nations. Additionally, U. S. Ambassador to Canada Pete Hoekstra also walked back recent positions by the White House saying, “we’re not in a trade war.” Less than two weeks out from the midterm elections, the truculence towards Ottawa is backfiring spectacularly as polls show Americans’ wholesale rejection of MAGA trade and tariff policies. United States Ambassador Pete Hoekstra United States Ambassador Pete Hoekstra speaks during a fireside chat at the SpaceBound 2026 Conference in Gatineau Que., on Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2026.