October 19, 2016 Election update: A Trump or Clinton victory is not a return to business as usual Introduction This is an updated version of a report written last July analyzing: Who is most likely to win the U.S. election The growing bipartisan backlash against free trade The impact of a Clinton or Trump victory on various sectors of the economy The immediate general market reaction following either a Clinton or Trump victory Many of their positions have been significantly influenced by an electorate that is frustrated over decades of stagnant wages, rising income inequality and the perceived negative impact of past free trade agreements. Donald Trump won the Republican nomination by taking positions that are against the traditional Republican orthodoxy of strong support for free trade and corporate interests; while Hillary Clinton has moved to the left of political spectrum on many issues in order to reflect both the changing mood of the country and the Democratic Party base. The bottom line is that regardless of who wins the U.S. election increased levels protectionism and/or government intervention will be forthcoming. Potential Election outcomes: The polls are heavily leaning in favour of Hillary Clinton Hillary Clinton’s demographic advantage There is no question that demographics heavily favor the Democrats over the Republicans. This is because minority voters tend to vote overwhelmingly Democrat. African-Americans, Latinos, Asians and other non-whites rose from 12% of eligible voters in 1980 to 28% in 2012.1 President Obama got 71% and 91% of the Hispanic and African American vote respectively in the last election. In contrast, the polls show that Trump’s inflammatory rhetoric has deeply hurt his support among minority voters and women. Given the wide gap in support, the main question is not whether Clinton will win a large share of the minority vote, but whether they will show up to vote for Clinton at close to the same levels they did for Obama in 2012. 1 “How Demographics Will Shape The 2016 Election,” Fivethirtyeight, December 2015 GEOPOLITICAL BRIEFING Donald’s Trump’s increasingly narrow path to victory As for Donald Trump, a leading indicator of his chances for victory is how he polls in the crucial swing and rustbelt states. Swing states are regions in which both the Democratic and Republican candidates have a good chance of winning, while Rustbelt states are regions that have seen their once large industrial sectors shrink dramatically.The anger against free trade, particularly in the rust belt states, represents his best chance for electoral gains. Other factors that could boost Trump’s support are another major terrorist attack on U.S. soil, a major scandal involving the Clintons and a much stronger third debate performance. Another question is whether similar to Brexit there exists a substantial pool of American voters that refuse to admit to pollsters that they are in fact Trump supporters. Another aspect of the election that must be followed closely is support for third party candidates. David Johnson of the Libertarian Party is currently polling at 6.5%, while Jill Stein of the Green Party is at 2.4%. The last serious third party candidate was in 1992. Bill Clinton won with only 43% of the vote, versus 37.4% for George Bush (senior) and 19% for Ross Perot. Question: Will support for these third-party candidates fade as they do in most elections, or is this time different? Finally, one major reason why Donald Trump not fallen behind even further in the polls despite his many gaffes is the general collapse in trust for the traditional governing elite. The view that this elite is responsible for America’s bungled wars, the financial crisis and stagnant wages has allowed Trump to survive errors that would have eliminated most other establishment candidates. Win or loss, the rise of Trump (and Sanders for that matter) has changed the country’s geopolitical landscape and is a warning to the governing elite that the American public is angry with the current state of affairs. Indeed, should large segments of the population still continue feel that their interests are not being taken into account, another (perhaps less bombastic) candidate could emerge from either party to run on many of Trump’s main ideas of greater protectionism, stricter controls on immigration and greater withdrawal from global affairs/commitments in the next election. Europe has shown that anti-establishment candidates/parties have tended to gain in popularity over a period of several election cycles. Source: “Trust in government: 1958-2015” Gallup, November 2015 Hillary Clinton is the outright favorite to win. To date, the combined average of recent national polls show Clinton holding a 7%-8% advantage over Trump. She is also leading in many crucial battleground states such as Florida, Pennsylvania, Colorado, Nevada and North Carolina. The betting markets are giving a well over 80% probability that Clinton will prevail over Trump. 2 GEOPOLITICAL BRIEFING The growing U.S. backlash against free trade For a very long time, the disconnect between the pro-free trade elites of both U.S. political parties and the working class who viewed free trade in a more negative light remained in the background. Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders (who provided an unexpected strong challenge to Hillary Clinton) brought this issue to the forefront. All of this in turn has forced many high ranking U.S. politicians, including Hillary Clinton, to take increasingly tough positions on free trade. In fact, opposition to free trade is now one of the few things that unites an otherwise deeply divided U.S. electorate. What effect does foreign trade have on the US labor market Percentage of respondents 75% Trump voters 60% All voters 48% Clinton voters 27% Clinton voters 19% All voters 20% All voters Trump voters Creates US jobs Clinton voters 14% 12% 8% Trump voters Loses US jobs No effect NBF Economics and Strategy (data via CBS/NYT poll, July 2016) This anti-free trade sentiment is reinforced by demographics. A recent poll by YouGov shows that after the age of 45, Americans tend to view free trade in a more negative light.2 This is largely because many of them have gone through a long period of stagnant wages. For the first time in U.S. history people aged 45+ will account for the majority of eligible voters in the upcoming election. Americans aged 45+ tend to vote at much higher rates than their fellow younger citizens. Mr. Trump has taken the toughest anti-trade stance of the two candidates. He has come out against approving the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPP) and has called for NAFTA, which he labelled “the worse trade deal in history,”3 to be renegotiated. His positions include imposing tariffs on imports from countries accused of employing illegal trade practices. Mrs. Clinton, in contrast, has long been seen as being more supportive of free trade. But the growing protectionist mood has forced her to come out against TPP, even though she was the driving force behind the negotiation of this trade deal during her time as President Obama’s Secretary of State. She recently said: “My message to every worker in Michigan and across America is this: I will stop any trade deal that kills jobs or holds down wages, including the Trans-Pacific Partnership."4 She has promised to create a new position of chief trade 2 3 4 “Support for free trade highest among millennials,” Yougov, May 10, 2016 “Rustproofing,” The Economist, July 2, 2016 “Where Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump stand on the economy,” Business Insider, Sept 24, 2016 3 GEOPOLITICAL BRIEFING prosecutor that would directly report to the President and triple the number of officials devoted to ensuring that America’s trade partners comply with the rules. Will politicians change their anti-free trade tune once in office? U.S. politicians have a long history of criticizing free trade agreements when running for office, and then supporting them after they win. Indeed, Obama did not follow through on his pledge to renegotiate NAFTA by adding labor rights and environmental protections to its mix of provisions after winning his first election in 2008. Pro-free traders are thus hoping that Hillary Clinton will do the same if she wins, particularly with regard to getting TPP approved. However, it is unlikely that that she will be able to walk back her anti-free trade stance as easily as other politicians have in the past for the following reasons. The public’s strong opposition to free trade has become a major campaign issue The widespread view that many countries are not complying with their trade agreement obligations The long period of wage stagnation and one of the weakest economic recoveries in the Post-World War II Era has only further fueled anti-free trade sentiment. Could a President Trump unilaterally rip up trade agreements? Trump’s threats have sparked a debate over whether the President actually has the authority to withdraw from trade deals such as NAFTA without Congressional approval. Some experts feel that, according to Article 2205 of the agreement, a President could withdraw from NAFTA after having only given 6 months notice. Other experts believe Congress would need to sign off as well. Regardless of who is right, we believe it is highly unlikely that Trump or any other President for that matter would actually withdraw from NAFTA or any other trade agreement. This is because any attempt to rip up a trade agreement such as NAFTA would elicit an uproar in Congress, disrupt companies with supply chains spread across the hemisphere and attract a wave of lawsuits seeking a temporary injunction pending the outcome of a trial. All of this would consume the Presidency and prevent the administration from advancing other parts of its agenda. Finally, the US has not withdrawn from a trade agreement since 1866. But most importantly, the President does not have to resort to the nuclear option of ripping up trade agreements to advance a more protectionist agenda. He has the legal authority to impose tariffs or quotas on virtually any sector without the approval of Congress. The laws granting him this authority include the Trading with the Enemy Act of 1917, the Reciprocal Trade Agreements Act of 1934, the Trade Expansion Act of 1962, the Trade Act of 1974 and the International Emergency Economic Powers Act of 1977. The only way Congress could block this authority is by passing new legislation to repeal powers it previously gave to the President, but this would require a two-thirds majority in both the House and the Senate to override a Presidential veto. Growing Trade tensions between China and the United States America’s massive trade deficit ($365 billion in 2015) is a rising source of tension between the two countries. There is a widespread feeling among the U.S. public that since China joined the WTO in 2001 it has not lived up to its free trade commitments. China is accused of, among other things, forcing foreign companies to transfer their intellectual property in the form of joint ventures to Chinese companies in exchange for access to its markets. To add insult to injury, China has often been able to purchase types of companies in the U.S. and elsewhere that western firms are barred from purchasing in China. Critics accuse politicians of not having taken sufficient measures to hold China to account for breaking WTO regulations. This explains why Donald Trump’s aggressive call for tariffs on Chinese imports has resonated with so many voters. He recently called China’s entrance into WTO “the greatest job theft in history.”5 He has promised to formally designate China a currency manipulator, crack down on illegal state financing of Chinese companies and fight back against the theft of intellectual property. This in turn has forced Hillary Clinton to take a similarly tough line with China. 5 “Rustproofing,” The Economist, July 2, 2016 4 GEOPOLITICAL BRIEFING U.S.: trade balance with China keeps widening U.S. imports from China and U.S. exports to China 500 $ (Billions) 450 400 350 U.S. imports from China 300 250 200 150 100 U.S. exports to China 50 0 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015 NBF Economics and Strategy (data via U.S. Census Bureau) Another factor adding to tensions with China is that on average only about 4% of the parts found in Chinese imports are sourced from the U.S., versus 40% for Mexican imports. Despite the rhetoric from Trump, this makes imports from Mexico more politically acceptable than those from China. Ironically, rising labor costs in China and increasing automation of the industrial sector mean that China’s competitive advantage over the developed world could be nearing its end. But a revitalized U.S. manufacturing sector would not necessarily mean a return to past levels of employment due to increasing levels of automation. Despite the fact U.S. manufacturers are producing 47% more in inflation-adjusted dollar terms than they did 20 years ago, employment in this sector has declined by 29% over this period.6 The next section focuses on the positions of each candidate in various sectors Clinton and Trump differ widely on Energy Policy Mr. Trump has pledged to rollback environmental regulations on fossil fuels, reduce subsidies for renewable energy, approve Keystone and cancel the Paris Agreement committing nearly 200 nations to lower carbon emissions. Given that all of these policies were largely implemented via executive orders from President Obama, a President Trump could cancel many of them without seeking approval from Congress. 6 “The Economy is Rigged, and Other Presidential Campaign Myths,” The New York Times, May 6, 2016 5 GEOPOLITICAL BRIEFING Mrs. Clinton, for her part, has promised to significantly tighten regulations surrounding shale gas and oil production. This includes more stringent controls on water pollution and chemical usage. She also supports giving local communities a greater say over whether shale oil and gas production should be allowed in their jurisdictions.7 Similar to trade, Clinton has been forced to dial back her past public support for shale and oil gas production in favour of renewable energy in order to maintain the support of the Democratic Party base.8 She has, among other things, promised to produce a third of the nation’s electricity from renewable sources by 2027, three years quicker than Obama. Clinton’s attempt to follow in Obama’s footsteps of implementing energy policy via executive orders hinges on whether Obama’s plan to regulate greenhouse gas emissions in the electricity sector without Congressional approval survives its court challenge. In February, the Supreme Court delayed the enforcement of these regulations pending the outcome of a lawsuit brought by 28 states arguing Obama’s attempt to implement climate regulations via executive order infringed on their constitutional rights. Clinton and Trump clash on financial regulations Mr. Trump has promised to repeal the 2010 Dodd-Frank law. While winning Congressional approval to repeal it would be very difficult, the law’s impact could be reduced by selective enforcement. For example, a President Trump could appoint officials to various financial regulatory bodies that would be less inclined to strictly enforce the letter of the law. As for Clinton, she has promised to reinforce 2010 Dodd-Frank law by among other things raising capital requirements for big banks. She also supports clawing back compensation from executives at financial institutions who have received large fines from regulators. On a side note, both Democratic and Republican platforms include calls for the restoration of 1933 Glass-Steagall law that separated commercial and investment banking (removed by Bill Clinton in 1999). While Presidents do not always follow their party platforms once in power, the insertion of these clauses (at the behest of the rank and file) combined with the negative view Americans have of banks in general (only 27% have confidence in banks)9 means that the financial sector could be facing greater regulatory headwinds in the future. Two widely different fiscal proposals One of the starkest differences between the two is their fiscal policies. Mr. Trump has promised to cut taxes for both companies and individuals. The official corporate tax rate would go from 35% to 15%. It important to note however that most corporations pay a much lower effective tax rate due to loopholes. He has also promised to cut the number of individual income tax brackets by half and bring rates down to 12%, 25% and 33%. The top individual tax rate is currently 39.6%. In contrast, Clinton’s proposals largely center on raising taxes on higher income earners and businesses. This includes raising the marginal income-tax rate to 43.6% from 39.6% on individual income exceeding $5 million. Those earning more than $1 million would be subject to a minimum 30% income tax. She also wants to change the capital gains tax code from its current 20% tax for people who hold investment for more than one year to only preserving that rate for those who hold onto their investments for a minimum of 6 years. These tax increases would finance an electoral platform that includes a higher minimum wage, much greater funding for university education, more healthcare subsidies and 12 weeks paid leave for parents with a newborn child. Neither Trump nor Clinton has proposed a plan to deal with the long term drivers of the public debt The next president will take power with the national debt at post-World II highs. America’s public debt currently stands at over $14 trillion or 77% of GDP. Under Clinton’s plan, the Washington-based Tax Foundation estimates that debt would grow from nearly 77% of GDP today to over 86% by 2026; under Trump’s plans, debt would grow to 105% of GDP.10 7 “Clinton Against American Energy,” Wall Street Journal, March 7, 2016 “Does Hillary Clinton support fracking?” Polifact, April 13, 2106 9 Gallup, June 2016 10 “Promises and Price Tags: A Preliminary Update,” Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, September 22, 2016 8 6 GEOPOLITICAL BRIEFING Luckily for both of them, the public is much less worried about the perils of rising debt levels. A recent Pew survey found just slightly over half of Americans consider the budget deficit a top priority, down from 72% in 2013.11 This complacency is reinforced by the fact the U.S. is now - thanks to rock-bottom interest rates -- making the lowest debt payments as a percentage of GDP since the mid-70s even though debt levels are much higher today.12 The potential for bipartisan action regarding corporate funds held abroad. The European Commission ruling that Apple owes $14.5 billion to Ireland due to illegal tax breaks could spur American politicians to agree on a reduced tax rate for funds that corporations repatriate from abroad. The U.S government is worried that the EU tax ruling marks the beginning of a trend by certain countries to lay claim to some of the over $2 trillion of profits that American firms have amassed offshore. Trump has called for a one time repatriation tax of 10% on corporate funds that are transferred into the country from abroad. Clinton does not have a formal position on this issue. The Healthcare sector Both Trump and Clinton have promised to crack down on high drug costs by allowing the federal government to negotiate the price it pays for drugs on behalf of retirees under Medicare (as is the case in most other countries). Clinton also supports creating a commission to watch for sudden major price increases of older life-saving drugs.13 If they followed through on their promise, this would have a tremendous impact because healthcare companies tend to follow Medicare’s lead when setting prices. In 2014, Medicare spent $143 billion on drugs, while total U.S. pharmaceutical sales were $317 billion.14 Source: “Price of branded prescription drugs in the US doubles in 5 years,” Financial Times, March 15, 2016 While prior efforts to pass legislation allowing for the government to negotiate drug prices has failed due to stiff resistance from the pharmaceutical lobby, the growing public anger at high drug prices has increased the odds legislation to this effect will be passed. A recent Kaiser Family Foundation poll shows that 93% of Democrats and 74% of Republicans support allowing the government to negotiate the price of drug purchases on behalf of Medicare beneficiaries.15 Even if 11 “Budget deficit slips as public priority,” Pew Research, January 21, 2016 “Federal Outlays: Interest as Percent of Gross Domestic Product,” St Louis Federal Reserve 13 “How Trump and Clinton Would Fix the "Crazy" U.S. Health System,” Fortune, October 18, 2016 14 “Not Up for Negotiation, U.S. News, February 9, 2016 15 “Searching for Savings in Medicare Drug Price Negotiations,” Kaiser Family Foundation, February 9, 2016. 12 7 GEOPOLITICAL BRIEFING no new legislation is passed, a combination of growing public anger against high drug prices and negative media stories will increase the level of regulatory scrutiny on drug companies going forward. As for Obamacare, Mrs. Clinton has promised to expand it. She would increase tax credits for people using the individual insurance marketplaces, permit people to buy into Medicare at a younger age and add a government-run insurance plan to compete with private insurers on the exchanges. She has also proposed to reduce Americans’ out-of-pocket healthcare costs via a refundable tax credit. While Trump has promised to repeal and replace Obamacare, he also supports some form of universal health care. He has proposed eliminating insurance exchanges and setting up tax-free health savings accounts for people with highdeductible insurance plans. He also wants to permit companies to sell insurance across state lines to boost competition and reduce prices. Finally, he supports creating high-risk insurance pools for people with medical conditions that make it hard to get coverage on their own.16 The focus that both their plans have on controlling healthcare costs via either increased government intervention or competition is bad news for many healthcare companies that have long been used to raising their prices as they see fit. A shared view that America’s infrastructure is in urgent need of modernization While Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton disagree on many things, the urgent need to revamp America’s infrastructure is not one of them. Hillary Clinton has called for a $275 billion to be spent on infrastructure, including the creation of a national infrastructure bank. She also wants to restore Build America Bonds to help local governments attract private capital. The Trump campaign does not have a detailed infrastructure plan, but Trump has publicly said he would spend $500 billion on infrastructure in order to stimulate the economy. The American Society of Civil Engineers estimates that, at current spending projections, the U.S. will fall $1.44 trillion short of the $3.32 trillion needed to be invested in infrastructure through 2025. The case for infrastructure spending is made even stronger by the federal government’s incredibly low borrowing costs. Repairing America’s fraying infrastructure would also employ legions of blue collar workers, one of the hardest hit classes of workers. A shared view that Defense spending must increase Trump has been by far the most aggressive in promising to increase defense spending. For starters, he wants to cancel a 2011 budget agreement that has led to several years of cuts to defense spending. He also wants to significantly boost troop levels, increase the number of fighter planes in the Air Force by 100 and build another 75 ships and submarines for the Navy. If he managed to get his plans approved, it is estimated that an additional $60-$80 billion would be spent annually on defense for the next several years. The current military budget is $595 billion.17 As for Clinton, although she has not made specific proposals about a defense spending, she also wants to put an end to the trend of less funding for defense. Moreover, she has a reputation of being much more hawkish than Obama with regard to the use of military force. Growing worldwide geopolitical tensions increases the odds of a bipartisan agreement to boost defense spending. These tensions include a Middle East racked by wars, growing tensions between Russia and NATO, North Korea’s nuclear weapons program, China’s attempt to control the South China Sea and fears over terrorism. The importance of who controls Congress With so much attention being cast on the Presidential race this year, it easy to forget that the ability of either a President Clinton or Trump to get their agenda approved is highly dependent on who controls the two houses of Congress. 16 17 “How Trump and Clinton Would Fix the "Crazy" U.S. Health System,” Fortune, October 18, 2016 “Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton Clash on National Security Issues,” Wall Street Journal, September 7, 2016 8 GEOPOLITICAL BRIEFING Current polls suggest that should Hillary become President the Democrats would be well positioned to reclaim the Senate from the GOP. Republicans currently hold 54 of the Senate’s 100 seats. The Republicans must defend 24 seats in November, versus only 10 for the Democrats. When it comes to the House of Representatives, the Republican’s control is much more secure. The Republicans have 247 seats, versus 188 for the Democrats. Democrats would have to win 30 seats to take back control of the chamber. The Republican’s hold on Congress has been reinforced by Republican governors in key swing states redrawing legislative districts in a manner that maximizes the number of seats their party can win. This process, which is called gerrymandering, involved moving likely democratic voters to other electoral districts. North Carolina is a perfect example of the significant impact gerrymandering can have. Despite the fact 51% of North Carolinians voted Democrat in the 2012 Congressional election, gerrymandering resulted in the state electing nine Republicans and four Democrats to the U.S. House. To be fair, the Democrats have also engaged in gerrymandering in states they control, albeit to a much lesser extent than the Republicans. In order to overcome the effects of gerrymandering, the Democrats would have to win the Congressional popular vote by 7% to 9% to have a chance of regaining control of the House of Representatives. In contrast, a victory by President Trump, even by the slimmest of margins, would likely result in the Republicans retaining control of both houses of Congress. Conclusion: The Market impact of a Clinton or trump victory A Clinton victory would immediately be followed by a relief rally in the markets. But should the Democrats defy expectations and regain control of both houses of Congress the markets would eventually transition from euphoria to worry. This is because a President Clinton would be in a much better position to implement her campaign promises of higher taxes on corporations/investors and greater regulation of the financial, energy and healthcare sectors. This includes a promise to appoint antitrust officials that would analyze past and future merger deals for signs of “exploitation of excessive market power.”18 As for a Trump victory, it would immediately be followed by short term market panic over fears that he could spark a global trade war. The risk of market turmoil is reinforced by the fact polls show that the citizens of almost all G20 countries (with the exception of Russia) are rooting for a Clinton victory. Fears have also been raised that a Trump victory would be followed-up by a selloff of U.S. treasuries. But the odds are more likely that U.S. treasuries would ironically become the safe 18 “Liberal Economists Think Big Companies Are Too Powerful. Hillary Clinton Agrees,” The New York Times, October 4, 2016 9 GEOPOLITICAL BRIEFING haven for the market panic created by a surprise Trump victory due to a lack of viable alternatives. This is similar to what happened in 2008 when U.S. treasuries became a safe haven for investors from the global financial crisis that began in the U.S. A victory for Trump would also likely mean Republicans retaining control of both houses of Congress. This means Trump would be in a good position to win Congressional approval for certain parts of his agenda. This includes tax cuts for corporations and individuals, more infrastructure spending and less business regulation. The energy sector would be the most impacted by a Trump victory because he could unilaterally overturn so many of Obama’s policies without requiring congressional approval. Looming trends regardless of who wins Regardless of the outcome of the U.S. election, the mood of the electorate will force the winner to take a more protectionist stance. This in turn raises the risk that other countries will retaliate by raising tariffs on U.S. goods. In this environment, investors must do more than simply analyze a country’s – or a company’s – fundamentals. They must also look at any ongoing or potential future tensions with trading partners, since such conflicts can significantly impede access to key markets. Healthcare is a sector that will face a tougher regulatory environment regardless of who wins. Drug companies in particular will face increased political/regulatory resistance to price increases. Increased infrastructure investment, more defense spending and a one time low tax rate on funds that corporations repatriate from abroad are among the areas where the potential for bipartisan cooperation exists. The crucial first two years of a new Presidential administration It also important to note that historically Presidents have had the most success in implementing their agenda in the first year or two of being in power. After that the odds of signing major bills into law tends to drop significantly. President Obama is a perfect case in point. In the first 18 months of his first mandate he passed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, Obamacare and the Dodd–Frank Wall Street Reform Act. Indeed, as the chart below indicates, the increasing inability of the two parties to compromise on issues mean that less and less bills are getting passed. Unprecedented levels of animosity generated by a particularly acrimonious Presidential campaign could lead to even lower levels of cooperation between Republicans and Democrats in the future. This legislative gridlock would come at time when monetary policy is increasingly being seen as losing its effectiveness. Bills passed by U.S. Congress: 1947‐2014 Source: “113th Congress will likely enact fewer new laws than any since WWII,” Washington Examiner, September 2014 Finally, the greater levels of protectionism and/or government intervention being pushed by both Trump and Clinton will, all things being equal, squeeze corporate profit margins. Angelo Katsoras 10 GEOPOLITICAL BRIEFING ECONOMICS AND STRATEGY Montreal Office 514-879-2529 Toronto Office 416-869-8598 Stéfane Marion Marc Pinsonneault Warren Lovely Chief Economist & Strategist [email protected] Senior Economist [email protected] MD, Public Sector Research and Strategy [email protected] Paul-André Pinsonnault Matthieu Arseneau Senior Fixed Income Economist [email protected] Senior Economist [email protected] Krishen Rangasamy Angelo Katsoras Senior Economist [email protected] Geopolitical Analyst [email protected] General – National Bank Financial (NBF) is an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of National Bank of Canada. National Bank of Canada is a public company listed on Canadian stock exchanges. The particulars contained herein were obtained from sources which we believe to be reliable but are not guaranteed by us and may be incomplete. 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