The Globe and Mail reports in its Monday edition that Canada's biggest banks are set to post higher profits as elevated trading activity boosted by volatile equity markets is expected to curb the impact of softening loan demand from consumers and businesses. The Globe's Stefanie Marotta writes that analysts broadly expect profits to rise in the mid-single-digit percentage points in the first quarter as the lenders continue to shrug off concerns over the U.S. trade war. "Notwithstanding the still-unresolved tariff-related uncertainties, the Canadian banks' business diversification (which resulted in mid-teens percentage earnings growth last year) has benefited their shareholders," BMO analyst Sohrab Movahedi said in a recent note. The first quarter "is unlikely to be a major inflection point. As we await resolution around tariffs, we expect a continuation of last year's earnings drivers." On Tuesday, Scotiabank will be the first to report earnings for the three months ended Jan. 31. BMO and National Bank will report results on Wednesday. RBC, TD Bank and CIBC will wrap up earnings week Thursday. The banks are up 4.2 per cent this year, trailing the S&P TSX Composite Index's 6.5-per-cent climb.