National Business

MONTREAL — The country's two main railways have started to halt shipments ahead of a potential strike or lockout next week, the first step toward a possible shutdown as the bargaining deadline approaches. Canadian National Railway Co.

TORONTO — Costco Wholesale is testing membership card scanners at the entrances to its stores at several locations across Canada. The retailer says it's testing the scanners at stores in Ottawa, Edmonton, Regina and the B.C. Lower Mainland.

TORONTO — The Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan Board says it earned a net return of 4.2 per cent for the first six months of this year. The result came as the pension fund says it earned net investment income of $10.8 billion for the period.

Starbucks, struggling with weak demand and disgruntled investors, said Tuesday it's replacing CEO Laxman Narasimhan with Brian Niccol, the chairman and CEO of Chipotle.

When a high-flying stock seems out of reach for investors with limited cash, fractional trading can help fulfil that dream of owning a piece of the company — one small portion at a time.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Wholesale price increases in the United States eased in July, suggesting that inflation pressures are further cooling as the Federal Reserve moves closer to cutting interest rates, likely beginning next month.

TORONTO — Hudbay Minerals Inc. reported a net loss attributable to owners of US$16.6 million in its latest quarter as its revenue rose by more than 35 per cent compared with a year ago. The mining company, which keeps its books in U.S.

Home Depot's second-quarter sales rose slightly as the nation's biggest home improvement retailer benefitted from an $18 billion acquisition this spring, but customers continued to rein in spending because of broadly higher costs and elevated interes

Black and racialized workers in Canada are less likely to be represented by a union, according to a new report.

For friends of Rebecca Godfrey, the writer's final novel is more than a posthumous stamp on a career cut short — it's another piece of her to savour now that she's gone.