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Canadian dollar drifting ahead of CPI releaseThe Canadian dollar is showing little movement on Tuesday. In the European session, USD/CAD is trading at 1.3382, down 0.13%. We could see stronger movement from the Canadian dollar in the North American session, with the release of the Canadian inflation report. Canada releases the November inflation report later on Tuesday. In October, inflation dropped to 3.1% y/y, down sharply from 3.8%. The market consensus for November stands at 2.9%. Two key core inflation indicators are expected to ease to an average of 3.3%, down from an average of 3.5% in October. A further drop in inflation would be an encouraging sign for the Bank of Canada, which has raised the cash rate to 5.0% but has paused three straight times. The BoC remained hawkish at the December meeting and kept the door open to additional rate hikes but the markets are convinced that the rate-tightening cycle is over and have priced in rate cuts next year, starting in mid-2024. A drop in the November inflation report would bolster expectations for rate cuts next year. If inflation surprises on the upside, it would bolster the Canadian dollar and force the BoC to continue pausing rates at restrictive levels ('higher for lower'). The US dollar has hit a rough patch since the Fed meeting last week when Fed Chair Powell penciled in three rate cuts next year. Traders are far more bullish and have priced in six rate hikes in 2024, starting in March. We're seeing some pushback from the Fed to dampen rate-cut fever in the markets. On Friday, New York Fed President John Williams said a rate cut in March was "premature" and even warned that rates could move higher if inflation were to stall or reverse. Cleveland Fed President Mester said on Monday that the markets are a "bit ahead" of the Fed on rate cuts, as the Fed was focused on how long it would need to maintain rates in restrictive territory, while the markets were focused on rate cuts. USD/CAD is testing support at 1.3363. Below, there is support at 1.3327 There is resistance at 1.3386 and 1.3422
by OANDA
Trading this week's fundamental events The market's attention will be fixed on the Federal Reserve's final policy meeting of 2023 scheduled for this Wednesday, with the expectation that the US will maintain interest rates at a 22-year high. Investors will have an opportunity to scrutinize the Fed's statement and Chair Jerome Powell's press conference for any indications of potential rate cuts in 2024 (or lack thereof). One day prior to the Feds decision, the US is also poised to unveil essential inflation data. Forecasts suggest a marginal uptick of 0.1% in November consumer prices. Turning attention to Europe, traders will focus on rate decisions from the European Central Bank (ECB) and the Bank of England (BoE), both occurring on Thursday. The BoE is predicted to maintain borrowing costs at a 15-year high while reiterating the necessity for elevated rates. Any commentary from the bank deviating from this outlook could potentially cause ripples in the market. Eurozone inflation dropped to 2.4% last month, down from over 10% a year earlier, following ten consecutive rate hikes. This decline brings the ECB's 2% inflation target into view and makes a further rate increase unlikely. Goldman Sachs has forecasted that the European Central Bank's meeting in April will mark the initiation of its first rate cut, followed by a 25 basis points cut at each subsequent meeting throughout the year.
by BlackBull_Markets
Watching for GBPCAD to follow EURCADWe saw a huge sell off when EURCAD broke it's uptrend last week so I'm watching GBPCAD to see if we get a similar flush. Price has been holding the trend now for several days with price barely able to escape and push higher, leading to further tightening. Entry signal would be a non ambiguous break of the Daily trend with stop above high of day if possible. Target is somewhere around the mid Nov break out as shown on the Daily TF, just over 100 pips away. Daily SWAP is -1.58% so a multi day is possible, but I wouldn't want to go over 3. Volatility around the CAD rate decision has the biggest downside effect on the idea if we get a break prior to the news. Not much we can do about this, if we get a sell signal before the release I still think it is worth taking.
Short
by RuckSack
TradePlus-Fx|USDCAD: BoC meeting💬 Description: Today, the Central Bank of Canada will announce its decision on interest rates. The rate is expected to remain at the same level. Against this background, we continue to adhere to our previous trading idea for USDCAD , namely to look up (look at the chart) . But most likely, there will be volatility during or after the meeting of the Central Bank of Canada, then the pair is most likely to roll back down. The expected movement is thus depicted on the chart . As a result, the more global target remains the same, and we expect growth to 1.38271 level. 🔔 FX CALENDAR TODAY 🔔 🇺🇸New Home Sales 🇨🇦BoC Interest Rate Decision 🛢Crude Oil Inventories 🇨🇦BOC Press Conference 🇪🇺ECB President Lagarde Speaks 🇺🇸Fed Chair Powell Speaks ➖➖➖➖➖➖➖ 🚀Thank for your BOOSTS 🚀 👇Share your views and FOLLOW US 👇
Long
by TradePlus-Fx
12
CADJPY: Short scalp next weekThinking we're starting to see JPY strength, this is because it can't stay so weak for so long imho. Weak currency suits Japan as an exporter, to a point, but massively affects it's buying power, I do feel like we're approaching the end of this cycle of Yen weakness, by the end of this year. I think this pair broke the rising trendline but has struggled to get back in on multiple retracement attempts, so I think we'll drop to catch the order block in the next week based on current PA.
Short
by Finchcliffe
1
Canadian dollar calm ahead of retail salesThe Canadian dollar has edged higher on Friday. In the European session, USD/CAD is trading at 1.3688, down 0.23%. Canada releases retail sales later today, which could result in volatility from the Canadian dollar. Canada wraps up the week with the August retail sales report. The markets are bracing for a deceleration, with an estimate of -0.3% m/m, compared to a 0.3% gain in July. On a year-to-year basis, retail sales are projected to slow to 0.2%, down sharply from 2.0% in July. The Bank of Canada is widely expected to hold rates at 5.0% for a second straight time at the October 25th meeting. The BoC has raised rates to high levels but has only hiked on two occasions in 2023, which indicates that on the whole,  interest rates are where the central bank wants them. I don't expect to see the BoC trimming rates before mid-2024, but at the same time, the BoC will do its utmost to refrain from further tightening. The takeaway message is that we should expect rates to remain in restrictive territory for some time yet. Last week's inflation report showed a decrease of -0.1% for both headline and core CPI in September,  which beat expectations. On a year-to-year basis, headline CPI dropped from 4.0% to 3.8% and the core rate eased to 2.8%, down from 3.3%. Fed Chair Jerome Powell said on Thursday that inflation remained too high and that the 2% target would be difficult to reach if economic growth did not cool. Powell didn't provide any hints about future rate policy, saying that rate decisions would be based on data and the economic outlook. The Fed has been sending out a "higher for longer" message, and Powell's focus on high inflation seemed to reiterate this stance. USD/CAD is testing support at 1.3643. Below, there is support at 1.3585 There is resistance at 1.3716 and 1.3774
by fisherkj4
UK and Canadian Inflation RatesOverview UK and Canadian inflation rates will be released next week. These events could provide insight into whether the Bank of England(BOE) and the Bank of Canada(BOC) decide to raise rates further. The Details As things currently stand, the BOE will likely pause rates, and the BOC will raise rates again. This is in line with the current inflation figures. Next week's inflation figures - Tuesday 17th for Canada and Wednesday 18th for the UK - may give more precise direction to what the BOE and BOC decide what to do next: hike, cut, or pause. August's inflation figure for Canada was 4.00% and 6.70% for the UK. Things to Consider: If September's inflation figures are higher or the same as August's, this gives a greater chance of further rate hikes. Another rate hike from the BOC will likely strengthen the CAD. Another rate hike from the BOE will likely strengthen the GBP. If September's figures are lower than August's, this gives a greater chance of the central banks holding rates and lowering rates in the near future. This will weaken the CAD and GBP. Key CAD pairs could be FX:EURCAD FX:GBPCAD FX:AUDCAD Key GBP pairs could be FX:GBPAUD FX:GBPCAD FX:GBPNZD
by Samuel_Morton_Trader
CADJPY: Cheeky Scalp 1:3 with tight SLWe can see CADJPY rejected off the ascending channel and horizontal resistance confluence. I think we'll retest following a bounce off the lower boundary, especially seeing how oil is doing and today's CAD data. I'm really mindful of the end of week BoJ news as I think this could cause some reversals based on recent BoJ fundamentals and historic moves to protect the currency in International markets, but there's time left this week and so picking up pips where I feel safe, ahead of the news.
Long
by Finchcliffe
USD/CAD - Canadian dollar eyes retail salesThe Canadian dollar is showing limited movement on Thursday. In the North American session, USD/CAD is trading at 1.3474, up 0.09%. Canada wraps up the week with the retail sales report on Friday. July's retail sales were weak, with a gain of 0.1% m/m and a decline of 0.6% y/y. August is expected to show improvement, with consensus estimates of 0.4% m/m and 0.5% y/y. The Bank of Canada held the benchmark rate at 5.0% at the September 6th meeting. The BOC's summary of deliberations from that meeting, released on Wednesday, showed that the BoC considered raising rates due to stubbornly high underlying inflation. In the end, the Governing Council members felt that earlier rate increases were having an effect on economic growth and voted to hold rates. Still, there was a concern that a pause might send the wrong message that the tightening cycle was over and that a cut in rates was coming. The BoC therefore stressed at the meeting that the door remained open to further rate increases and that underlying inflation was not falling fast enough. The Federal Reserve maintained the benchmark rate at 5.5% at Wednesday's meeting. The Fed delivered a 'hawkish hold', signalling that it planned to keep rates in restrictive territory "higher for longer". This message sent US stock markets lower and US Treasury yields higher on Wednesday, with the US dollar showing short-lived volatility against most of the majors following the decision. The dot plot from yesterday's meeting indicated that the Fed expects to raise rates once more before the end of the year, the same forecast as in the June dot plot. However, the September dot plot projected trimming rates by 50 basis points in 2024, compared to 100 basis points in the June dot plot. This "higher for longer" approach indicates hawkishness on the part of the Fed, which remains focused on bringing inflation back down to the 2% target. USD/CAD is testing resistance at 1.3468. The next resistance line is 1.3553 1.3408 and 1.3323 are the next support lines
by OANDA
USD/CAD falls to one-month lowThe Canadian dollar has extended its gains on Tuesday. In the European session, USD/CAD is trading at 1.3441, down 0.33%. Earlier in the day, the Canadian dollar strengthened and touched a low of 1.3436, its best showing since September 15th. The Bank of Canada will be keeping close tabs on today's inflation report. CPI for August is expected to fall to 0.3% m/m, compared to 0.6% m/m in July. The core rate is also expected to ease to 0.3%, down from 0.5%. If the inflation readings decline as expected, it will provide support for the BoC to pause for a second straight time at the October meeting. The BoC will release the minutes (Summary of Deliberations) of the September meeting on Wednesday. At the meeting, the BoC held the benchmark cash rate at 5.0%. Policy makers reiterated that they stood ready to continue to hike in order to bring inflation back down to the 2% target, saying they “remained concerned about the persistence” of underlying price pressures. I expect that the minutes will make further references to Canada's inflation rate. The BoC's rate statement at the meeting noted that weaker demand and a concern about the lagging effect of previous hikes led to a decision to keep rates unchanged. Policy makers reiterated that would "continue to assess the dynamics of core inflation and the outlook for CPI”, which makes today's inflation release an important factor in the October rate decision. USD/CAD is putting pressure on support at 1.3408. The next support line is 1.3323 1.3468 and 1.3553 are the next resistance lines
by OANDA
Canadian dollar steady ahead of jobs reportThe Canadian dollar is steady on Friday in what should be a busy day. In the European session, USD/CAD is trading at 1.3670, down 0.12%. Canada releases the August job report later today, with the markets braced for a decrease of 6,400 in employment. The US dollar has been on a tear against the major currencies since mid-July. The Canadian dollar has slumped, losing about 450 basis points during that span. The Canadian economy hasn't been able to keep pace with its southern neighbor, and that was made painfully clear as GDP contracted by 0.2% in the second quarter, below expectations. The deterioration in economic growth is a result of a weak global economy as well as the Bank of Canada's steep tightening cycle. After back-t0-back increases, the BoC opted to pause at this week's meeting and held the benchmark cash rate at 5.0%. Governor Macklem likes to use the term "conditional pause", which means that a break from rate hikes will depend on economic growth and inflation levels. At this week's meeting, the BoC's rate statement was hawkish, warning that inflation was too high and not falling fast enough. This was a signal that the door remained open to interest rate increases. Macklem was more explicit on Thursday, stating that further rate hikes might be needed to lower inflation and warning that persistently high inflation would be worse than high borrowing costs. The markets are more dovish about the BoC's rate path, given that the economy is cooling and the central bank will be wary about too much tightening which could tip the economy into a recession. The markets have priced in a 14% probability of a rate hike at the October meeting. USD/CAD is testing resistance at 1.3657. The next resistance line is 1.3721 1.3573 and 1.3509 are providing support
by OANDA
USD/CAD rises to 22-week high, BoC decision loomsUSD/CAD is trading quietly in Europe at 1.3651, up 0.06%. I expect to see stronger movement in the North American session, with the Bank of Canada making its rate announcement and the US releasing the ISM Services PMI which is expected to show little change. The Bank of Canada is virtually certain to hold rates at today's meeting, with just a 6% probability of a rate hike, according to the TMX Group. That would leave the benchmark cash rate at an even 5.0%. BoC Governor Macklem would certainly like to call it quits on the central bank's aggressive tightening cycle and perhaps he can look for advice from his peers at the Federal Reserve and the Reserve Bank of Australia. Both the US and Australian economies have seen inflation fall significantly, but Jerome Powell at the Fed and Peter Lowe at the RBA have sent the markets a hawkish message that inflation isn't beaten and the door is open for further rate hikes if necessary. The markets have taken a more dovish stance and are already looking ahead to possible rate cuts. Macklem appears to face the same challenge of acknowledging that rate hikes have cooled the economy and curbed inflation while sounding credible about keeping open the option of further rate hikes. Last week's GDP report indicated that the economy contracted by 0.2%, compared to the BoC's forecast of 1.5% growth. The BoC has hiked repeatedly in order to lower inflation but there are concerns that the rate hikes in June and July may have tilted the risk toward a recession. The Federal Reserve is widely expected to pause at the September 20th meeting. The pause could signal that rates have finally peaked, although don't expect any Fed members to publicly state that the rate-tightening cycle is over. Federal Reserve Governor Christopher Waller said on Tuesday that the Fed can afford to “proceed carefully” with rate hikes, given that inflation has been falling, and if the downtrend continues, "we are in pretty good condition". USD/CAD tested resistance at 1.3657 earlier. The next resistance line is 1.3721 1.3573 and 1.3509 are providing support
by OANDA
GBPCAD: Running out of steam, start of the reversal?In my opinion GBP is building up for a big fall this year, and it has to start with a lower high. Oil prices are rising, and as much as the FED don't want this, it's happening, and this should be good for CAD. I can see a rising wedge pattern, we can see spinning tops forming and it looks like we're running out of steam, I believe we'll initially fall back to the 1.7 support / round number. I'm waiting for my entry, I expected GBP to fall before now, but the BoC unemployment news wasn't supportive last week.
Short
by Finchcliffe
7
USD/CAD shrugs after soft nonfarm payrollsThe Canadian dollar is showing limited movement on Friday. In the North American session, USD/CAD is trading at 1.3360, up 0.06%. Canadian and US job numbers were soft today, but the Canadian dollar's reaction has been muted. After a stellar job report in June, the July numbers were dreadful. Canada's economy shed 6,400 jobs in July, compared to a 59, 900 gain in June. Full-time employment added a negligible 1,700 jobs, following a massive 109,600 in June. The unemployment rate ticked up to 5.5%, up from 5.4%. Perhaps the most interesting data was wage growth, which jumped 5% y/y in June, climbing from 3.9% in May. The rise is indicative of a tight labour market and will complicate the Bank of Canada's fight to bring inflation down to the 2% target. It was deja vous all over again, as nonfarm payrolls failed to follow the ADP employment report with a massive gain. In June, a huge ADP reading fuelled speculation that nonfarm payrolls would also surge, and the same happened this week. Both times, nonfarm payrolls headed lower, a reminder that ADP is not a reliable precursor to the nonfarm payrolls report. July nonfarm payrolls dipped to 187,000, very close to June reading of 185,000 (downwardly revised from 209,000). This marks the lowest level since December 2020. The unemployment rate ticked lower to 3.5%, down from 3.6%. Wage growth stayed steady at 4.4%, above the consensus estimate of 4.2%. What's interesting and perhaps frustrating for the Fed, is that the jobs report is sending contradictory signals about the strength of the labour market. Job growth is falling, but the unemployment rate has dropped and wage growth remains strong. With different metrics in the jobs report telling a different story, it will be difficult for the Fed to rely on this employment report as it determines its path for future rate decisions. There is resistance at 1.3324 and 1.3394 1.3223 and 1.3182 are providing support
by OANDA
CADJPY: Resuming the uptrendI'm looking to buy again, I don't think we've seen the top, we're still miles off an ATH. With JPY still weak, Oil strong (which gives CAD strength), and a bullish engulfing candle on the 4hr (and a pinbar almost complete) I think we've had a 50% retracement of the last impulse and now back up. It would be great for this 4hr candle to close above the previous with a green candle, but generally signs look like we have upward momentum to me. I'm going to be careful around the previous high (109) and will likely TP to assess the situation, if we fail to break then I think we'll be heading down fast (I'm expecting JPY strength sometime soon)
Long
by Finchcliffe
3
USD/CAD slips after BoC rate hikeThe Canadian dollar has posted strong gains in Wednesday's North American session. In the North American session, USD/CAD is trading at 1.3146, down 0.63%. On the economic calendar, it has been a busy day, with the Bank of Canada raising interest rates and US inflation falling lower than expected. The Bank of Canada raised rates by 0.25% on Wednesday, bringing the cash rate to 5.0%. The BoC has delivered 475 basis points in hikes since March 2022 and the aggressive tightening has sent inflation lower. Still, the BoC's rate statement noted that it remains concerned that progress towards the 2% target could stall and that it does not expect to hit the target before mid-2025. This can be considered a hawkish hike and the Canadian dollar has responded with strong gains on Wednesday. Wednesday's US inflation report should please the Federal Reserve, which has circled high inflation has enemy number one. The June release showed headline inflation falling to 3.0%, down from 4.0% in May. This beat the consensus estimate of 3.1% and was the lowest level since March 2021. Even more importantly, the core rate fell from 5.3% to 4.8%, below the consensus estimate of 5.0%. On a monthly basis, both the headline and core rate came in at 0.2%, below the consensus estimate. The inflation release was excellent news, but isn't expected to change the Fed's plans to raise rates at the July 27th meeting. The inflation data didn't change market pricing for the July meeting (92% chance of a hike), but did raise the chances of a September hike from 72% prior to the inflation release to 80% after the release. Although the jobs report on Friday showed nonfarm payrolls declining considerably, wage growth was higher than expected and likely convinced the Fed to raise rates at the July meeting before taking a pause. There is resistance at 1.3191 and 1.3289 1.3105 and 1.3049 are providing support
by OANDA
USD/CAD pares gains, Canadian inflation easesThe Canadian dollar is flat on Friday, trading at 1.3258 in the European session. Canada releases GDP for May later on Friday. The consensus stands at 0.2% m/m, which translates into 2.4% annualized, a respectable gain. If the GDP report beats the consensus, the Canadian dollar could post gains. Canada's economy showed strength in the first quarter, with a gain of 3.1%. This was higher than expected and was one reason cited by the Bank of Canada in its surprise decision to raise rates earlier this month. I would expect that GDP growth will again be a key factor when the BoC makes its rate decision at the July 12th meeting. The BoC, like most other major central banks, has aggressively tackled high inflation by raising interest rates. The policy appears to be working, as headline inflation eased to 3.4% in May, down sharply from 4.4% in April. The core rate, which is comprised of three indicators, fell to an average of 3.8% in May, down from 4.2% a month earlier. The drop in inflation is certainly welcome news for the central bank, but the key question is whether inflation is falling fast enough for BoC policy makers. A third factor in the BoC's decision-making process will be employment. Canada's labour market has shown strong resilience in the face of rising interest rates, although the economy shed jobs in May, after eight straight months of gains. Another decline in new jobs could dampen the Bank's appetite for a rate hike in July. The US is coming off solid GDP and jobless claims data on Thursday and all eyes are on the Core PCE Price Index, the Fed's favourite inflation gauge. The index is expected to remain at 4.7% y/y, which would mean that inflation remains uncomfortably high compared to the target of 2%. We'll also get a look at UoM Consumer Sentiment, which is expected to rise to 63.9 in June, up from 59.2 in May. USD/CAD is putting pressure on resistance at 1.3254. Next, there is resistance at 1.3328 1.3175 and 1.3066 are providing support
by OANDA
2
USD/CAD pares gains, Canadian inflation easesThe Canadian dollar spiked and gained 50 points after Canada released the May inflation report but has pared these gains. USD/CAD is unchanged at 1.3158. Canada's inflation rate fell sharply in May to 3.4%, down from 4.4% in April. As expected, much of that decline was due to lower gasoline prices. Still, this is the lowest inflation rate since June 2021.The core rate, which is comprised of three indicators, fell to an average of 3.8% in May, down from 4.2% a month earlier. The decline should please policy makers at the Bank of Canada, as inflation slowly but surely moves closer to the 2% target. The BoC cited the surprise upswing in inflation in April as one reason for its decision to hike rates earlier this month. With headline and core inflation falling in May, will that be enough to prevent another rate increase in July? Not so fast. The BoC has said its rate decisions will be data-dependent, and there is the GDP on Friday and employment next week, both of which will factor in the rate decision. The US released a host of releases today, giving the markets plenty to digest. Durable Goods Orders jumped 1.7% in June, up from an upwardly revised 1.2% in May and crushing the consensus of -1%. The core rate rebounded with a 0.6% gain, up from -0.6% and above the consensus of -0.1%. Later today, the US publishes the Conference Board Consumer Confidence and New Home Sales. Wednesday is a light day on the data calendar, with the Fed will in the spotlight. Fed Chair Jerome Powell will participate in a "policy panel" at the ECB Banking Forum in Sintra, Portugal, and investors will be looking for some insights into Fed rate policy. As well, the Fed releases its annual "stress tests" for major lenders, which assess the ability of lenders to survive a severe economic crisis. The stress tests will attract more attention than in previous years, due to the recent banking crisis which saw Silicon Valley Bank and two other banks collapse. There is resistance at 1.3197 and 1.3254 1.3123 and 1.3066 are providing support
by OANDA
USD/CAD- Canadian dollar extends gains despite weak job dataThe Canadian dollar continues to rally. USD/CAD is trading at 1.3328 in the North American session, down 0.22% on the day. The week wrapped up with Canada's May employment report, which usually is released at the same time as the US job data, but had the spotlight to itself today. The data was a disappointment. Canada's economy shed 17,300 jobs, all of which were full-time positions. This followed an increase of 41,400 in April and missed the consensus of a gain of 23,200. The unemployment rate rose from 5.0% to 5.2%, the first rise since August 2022. The weak job numbers could signal softness in the labour market, which would have major ramifications for the Bank of Canada's rate path. The Canadian dollar lost 40 points in the aftermath of the release but quickly recovered these losses. We could see more movement from USD/CAD on Monday as the markets digest these numbers. The US labour market has shown resilience, as we saw last week with a red-hot nonfarm payroll report. Still, some cracks have appeared, such as the jump in the unemployment rate and a low participation rate. The markets are looking for signs that the labour market is cooling off and jumped all over unemployment claims, which surprised on the upside at 261,000, up from 233,000 a week earlier. A spike in one weekly report isn't all that significant, but the timing of the release close to the Fed meeting may make a Fed pause more likely, and that has sent the US dollar lower against its major rivals. Central banks continue to wrestle with high inflation, which has remained stubbornly high despite aggressive rate tightening. This week alone, the Reserve Bank of Australia and the Bank of Canada raised rates by 0.25%, surprising the markets which had expected a pause. The BoC has made clear that its "conditional pause" stance would be data-dependent and perhaps the markets should have paid more attention to the uptick in April inflation and strong GDP growth in the first quarter. The BoC highlighted both of these indicators in its rate statement as factors in its decision to hike rates, and the central bank will be keeping a close eye on economic growth and inflation ahead of the July meeting. USD/CAD is testing support at 1.3339. Below, there is support at 1.3250 1.3496 and 1.3585 are the next resistance lines
by OANDA
1
Bullflag resting on band with tight invalidationPretty simple play here. USDCAD tightly coiling up since Sept 2022. Higher lows. Looks like it wants to explode, even a surprise rate hike by the Bank of Canada wasn't enough to sweep the lows. Tight invalidation. US trudging ahead with rate hikes while the market is in disbelief and calling J Powell's bluff. But he's not bluffing. Canada has the bubbliest mortgage market on the planet. They won't be able to follow the US fed lest they ruin a generation of boomers' home equity and retirement. CAD is clown currency. USD is King. 1.45 first target
Long
by clappy22
Canadian dollar calm ahead of BoC rate announcementThe Canadian dollar is unchanged, trading at 1.3400 in the North American session. The Bank of Canada meets later today, and the money markets are expecting another pause, which would leave the benchmark rate at 4.5%. The BoC's rate-tightening cycle has been on a "conditional pause", which is another way of saying that rate decisions are data-dependent, especially on inflation and employment reports. The Bank has kept rates on hold since March and is expected to follow suit today, but there have been signals that the rate-hike cycle may not be over. First, April inflation report surprised on the upside after it ticked upwards to 4.4%, up from 4.3% annually, and rose from 0.3% to 0.7% month-to-month. The upswing will be of concern to BoC policy makers, as the central bank is intent on wrestling inflation back to the 2% target. The second concern is GDP, which hit 3.1% y/y in the first quarter, beating the BoC's forecast of 2.3% growth. Consumer spending has been stronger than anticipated, as many households have sizeable savings from the pandemic which they are spending now that the economy has reopened. BoC policy makers are concerned about the rise in inflation and GDP, and we could see hints about future rate hikes even if the Bank opts to pause at today's meeting. The Fed meets next week and with a blackout period in place on Fed public engagements, the markets are hunting for clues. Market pricing has been on a roller-coaster as divisions within the Fed over rate policy have made it difficult to determine what the Fed has planned. Currently, the markets are predicting a 78% chance of a pause, which would mark the first hold in rates after 10 straight rate increases. 1.3375 is a weak support line, followed by 1.3250 1.3496 and 1.3585 are the next resistance lines
by OANDA