National Business

NEW YORK — The major banks in the U.S. are anticipating a flood of loan defaults as households and business customers take a big financial hit from the coronavirus pandemic.

HALIFAX — A small Halifax area sign company faced a bit of a problem when it realized it could retool to help provide thousands of face shields for health workers battling COVID-19 — a scarcity of material.

CALGARY — Shares in Calgary-based Vermilion Energy Inc. and Surge Energy Inc. plunged on Wednesday after they announced the suspension of their dividend programs in response to persistently low oil prices.

Aphria Inc. has suspended its outlook for the year even though it has avoided some of the COVID-19 effects that have ravaged competitors. Executives from the Leamington, Ont., company revealed Wednesday that its third quarter, which ended Feb.

WASHINGTON — American industry collapsed in March as the pandemic wreaked havoc on the U.S. economy. Manufacturing and overall industrial production posted the biggest declines since the United States demobilized after World War II.

LOS ANGELES — A contentious interview with White House adviser Peter Navarro over the administration's response to the coronavirus helped “60 Minutes” earn the top spot in the ratings for the third time this season.

STELLARTON, N.S. — Empire Co. Ltd. is accelerating the launch of its Voila online grocery home delivery service in the Greater Toronto Area and expects to start tests later this month.

TORONTO — Fairfax Financial Holdings Ltd. is warning that it expects to lose US$1.4 billion in the first quarter because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

CALGARY — Shaw Communications Inc. says it is temporarily laying off about 10 per cent of its workforce effective Thursday as a result of "unpredictable conditions" created by the COVID-19 pandemic.

TORONTO — Some of the most active companies traded Tuesday on the Toronto Stock Exchange: Toronto Stock Exchange (14,258.43, up 182.49 points.) B2Gold Corp. (TSX:BTO). Materials. Up seven cents, or 1.1 per cent, to $6.43 on 13.2 million shares.