Bloomberg Canada’s federal housing agency is considering scaling back mortgage underwriting practices to limit excessive borrowing due to the threat of significant declines in real estate prices and rising debt levels. The combination of higher mortgage debt, declining property prices and increased unemployment is “cause for concern for Canada’s longer-term financial stability,” Evan Siddall, chief executive officer at Canada Mortgage …

Bloomberg One of the UK’s biggest real-estate managers is predicting gloomy times ahead for bricks and mortar. Insurance giant Aviva Plc expects residential property prices to drop 12% and commercial real estate to decline by 15% because of the impact of the pandemic, it said in an earnings update on Thursday. On a slightly brighter note, it sees long-term growth …

Bloomberg Stocks declined alongside US equity futures on Thursday as deteriorating Sino-American ties cast a cloud over the recent rally in risk assets. Treasuries advanced with the dollar. The Stoxx Europe 600 Index erased Wednesday’s gain, with all 19 sector groups in the red. Contracts on the three main American equities gauges signalled a drop at the Wall Street open, …