08.11.2026

Market Insights – 8/11/26

Wholesale Prices, Week Ending August 8th, 2026

The Canadian used wholesale market declined 0.19% this week. Car segment prices decreased 0.10%, while Truck/SUV prices fell 0.26%. Within the Car segments, Compact Car posted the largest increase at +0.56%. The largest declines were seen in Mid-Size Car (-0.86%) and Prestige Luxury Car (-0.23%). Within Truck/SUV segments, the largest declines were in Full-Size Crossover/SUV (-1.07%) and Compact Van (-0.87%). This week’s overall market decline of 0.19% was slightly steeper than last week’s 0.16% but remained better than the 2017–2019 same-week average decline of 0.25%.

Car Segments

• Car values continued to decline last week, but at a slower pace, with the overall Car market decreasing 0.10%.
• Mid-Size Car posted the largest decline at -0.86%, followed by Prestige Luxury Car at -0.23%.
• Positive movement was concentrated in Compact Car (+0.56%) and Sub-Compact Car (+0.52%).

Truck / SUV Segments

• Truck/SUV values softened at a faster pace last week, with the overall market declining 0.26%.
• The largest declines were recorded in Full-Size Crossover/SUV (-1.07%) and Compact Van (-0.87%).
• Mid-Size Luxury Crossover/SUV (+0.53%) posted the strongest gain, while Mini-Van values were essentially unchanged.

Wholesale Market Commentary

The Canadian wholesale market continued its downward trend, with overall pricing movements broadly consistent with the prior week. Truck/SUV values declined 0.26%, while Car values decreased 0.10%.

Approximately 41% of market segments experienced average weekly value movements greater than ±$100. Auction sale rates across monitored lanes ranged from 16.0% to 77.2%, averaging 46.2%. Results continue to be influenced by seasonal trends, political conditions, and sellers maintaining firm floor prices.

Auction inventory has returned to more typical levels; however, upstream channels continue to receive priority access to available units. Demand for high-quality vehicles remains resilient on both sides of the border.

Used Retail Prices & Listing Volume

Canadian used retail prices remain broadly stable, with a modest recent decline bringing the 14-day moving average to approximately $36,900. Listing activity remains robust, with roughly 169,000 used vehicles represented across Canadian dealer lots.

Market Insights

Economics & Government

• Canada added 75,100 jobs in July, bringing the unemployment rate down to 6.4%,
  a two-year low. Employment gains were concentrated in the private sector and
  included both full- and part-time positions.
• The 10-year Government of Canada bond yield edged higher to 3.45%, indicating
  modest upward pressure on borrowing costs. The Canadian dollar was relatively
  stable at approximately US$0.713, slightly below US$0.714 the prior week.

U.S. Market

• U.S. wholesale depreciation accelerated last week, with overall values declining 0.57%, more than double the pre-pandemic seasonal average of 0.25%.
• Car values declined 0.46%, while Truck/SUV values fell 0.61%.
• Auction conversion improved by approximately four percentage points to 58%, suggesting stronger sales activity despite continued downward pressure on values.

Industry News

Demand remains resilient, but affordability and financing pressures are increasingly shaping OEM strategy.

• Canadian new-vehicle sales growth — 173,000 units in July, up 0.5% year over year. This is the most direct indicator of current consumer demand and market momentum.
• Rising consumer credit stress — dealers are seeing more recent credit blemishes among buyers. This matters because affordability pressure can directly affect approvals, payment tolerance, used-vehicle demand, and inventory turn.
• Subaru launching its own captive finance company — this is strategically important because captive finance can influence incentives, loyalty, approvals, and how aggressively an OEM competes on monthly payment.
• Ford’s lower-priced electric pickup — the Fathom is relevant because a more affordable EV pickup could reshape pricing expectations and competition in a high-value segment.