Best trade of the week? USD/CAD or Oil?

Mark O’Donnell Blackbull Markets Limited

Will bearish bets on the Canadian dollar grow in the lead up to Wednesday? It is widely expected that the Canadian central bank will leave interest rates on hold during its meeting that concludes on this day (Although, it may be a hawkish hold as the Governor Tiff Macklem will mention that another hike is still on the table for the bank).

Perhaps piling on the bearish sentiment is the slight fall in the price of oil (one of Canada´s major exports), as US diplomatic efforts continue to contain the conflict between Israel and Hamas. How long this quietish period can last is up for debate though, and a ground offensive by the IDF in Gaza could send oil prices higher.

Bullish takes on the USD/CAD (i.e., bearish bets on the Loonie) will have 1.37350 to content with, which is the high the pair reached before cratering to 1.36712 to start the week. 1.36936 is the more immediate resistance for bull to cross before even thinking about the day´s high. The RSI’s weakness suggests this won’t be too difficult though, and 1.37189 might be the more formidable resistance.

Author

Mark O’Donnell

Blackbull Markets Limited

Mark O’Donnell is a Research Analyst with BlackBull Markets in Auckland, New Zealand.

EUR/USD keeps the rangebound trade near 1.1850

EUR/USD is still under pressure, drifting back towards the 1.1850 area as Monday’s session draws to a close. The modest decline in spot comes as the US Dollar picks up a bit of support, while thin liquidity and muted volatility, thanks to the US market holiday, are exaggerating price swings and keeping trading conditions choppy.

GBP/USD flirts with daily lows near 1.3630

GBP/USD has quickly given back Friday’s solid gains, turning lower at the start of the week and drifting back towards the 1.3630 area. The focus now shifts squarely to Tuesday’s UK labour market report, which is likely to keep the quid firmly in the spotlight and could set the tone for Cable’s next move.

Gold sticks to a negative bias below $5,000; lacks bearish conviction

Gold remains depressed for the second consecutive day and trades below the $5,000 psychological mark during the Asian session on Tuesday, as a positive risk tone is seen undermining safe-haven assets. Meanwhile, bets for more interest rate cuts by the Fed keep a lid on the recent US Dollar bounce and act as a tailwind for the non-yielding bullion, warranting caution for bearish traders ahead of FOMC minutes on Wednesday.

AI Crypto Update: Bittensor eyes breakout as AI tokens falter

The artificial intelligence (AI) cryptocurrency segment is witnessing heightened volatility, with top tokens such as Near Protocol (NEAR) struggling to gain traction amid the persistent decline in January and February.

US CPI is cooling but what about inflation?

The January CPI data give the impression that the Federal Reserve is finally winning the war against inflation. Not only was the data cooler than expected, but it’s also beginning to edge close to the mystical 2 percent target. CBS News called it “the best inflation news we've had in months.”

XRP steadies in narrow range as fund inflows, futures interest rise

Ripple is trading in a narrow range between $1.45 (immediate support) and $1.50 (resistance) at the time of writing on Monday. The remittance token extended its recovery last week, peaking at $1.67 on Sunday from the weekly open at $1.43.