National Business

TORONTO — The unofficial start of Hollywood's summer blockbuster movie season is fast approaching later this month, and while few Canadian movie theatres are open, the head of Cineplex Inc. is optimistic a return to business is in sight.

CALGARY — Higher oil and gas prices, record production and a restrained capital spending budget will result in bountiful free cash flow for Canadian Natural Resources Ltd. this year, the oilsands company said Thursday.

VANCOUVER — The latest analysis of British Columbia's housing market predicts yo-yo-like activity over the next 18 months as sales spin out this year and curl back in 2022.

MONTREAL — Bombardier Inc. isn't ready to increase business jet production despite believing it has passed through turbulence caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. says the average home price could rise by as much as 14 per cent this year, but the pace of sales could moderate by the end of 2023 if broad immunity to COVID-19 is soon achieved.

CALGARY — Canadian consumers have many ways to save money on home renovations despite a pandemic-driven surge in demand that has jolted lumber and construction panel prices to all-time highs.

FRANKFURT — Volkswagen Group's after-tax profit rebounded strongly to 3.4 billion euros ($4.

LONDON — Microsoft is pledging to let business and public sector customers in the European Union keep cloud computing data inside the 27-nation bloc to avert concerns about U.S. government access to sensitive information.

WASHINGTON — U.S. productivity posted a sharp rebound between January and March after falling in the previous quarter. Labor costs declined slightly. Productivity increased at an annual rate of 5.4% in the first quarter, recovering from a 3.

LONDON — The Bank of England has kept interest rates on hold as it forecast the fastest annual pace of growth for the British economy since early on in World War II, largely as a result of the rapid rollout of coronavirus vaccines.