- The Canadian Dollar lost ground on Wednesday, snapping a bullish recovery attempt.
- Canada will be off the data docket until Friday’s Retail Sales print.
- After two days of gains, the CAD fell back 0.1% against the Greenback.
The Canadian Dollar (CAD) is back to its losing ways, backsliding 0.1% against the Greenback on Wednesday. The Loonie has ended it’s near-term bullish recovery against the safe haven US Dollar during the midweek market session as the economic calendar remains low-impact on both sides of the USD/CAD pair.
Canada saw an uptick in Consumer Price Index (CPI) inflation figures this week, but the wind died down quickly and the Canadian Dollar is stuck near multi-year lows after USD/CAD pinged a 54-month high above 1.4100 last week. Thursday will remain a muted affair with very little of note on the data docket except for weekly US jobless claims figures, with USD/CAD traders trapped in a waiting period before Friday’s Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) prints for the US, as well as Canadian Retail Sales figures for September.
Daily digest market movers: Canadian Dollar returns to tepid ways amid light Wednesday calendar
- The Canadian Dollar fell back a tenth of a percent against the Greenback at the trading week’s midpoint, keeping USD/CAD bolstered near multi-year highs.
- Canadian Consumer Price Index (CPI) inflation figures earlier this week helped to extend a near-term Loonie rally, but bullish momentum quickly fizzled.
- Data remains thin on Wednesday, with little on the radar for Thursday outside of US weekly Initial Jobless Claims. New benefits claimants are expected to rise slightly to 220K week-on-week for the week ended November 15 compared to the previous week’s 217K.
- Loonie markets will pivot into Canadian Retail Sales figures from September on Friday, with the headline figure expected to hold steady at 0.4% MoM while core Retail Sales excluding automotive purchases are expected to rebound to 0.5% MoM from the previous month’s -0.7% contraction.
- US PMIs will be the key figures of note on Friday, with both Manufacturing and Services components expected to climb slightly. Manufacturing PMI activity survey results are expected to rise to 48.8 in November from the previous month’s 48.5, while November’s Services component figures are forecast to rise to 55.3 from October’s flat 55.0.
Canadian Dollar price forecast
Despite holding onto bullish hope, the Canadian Dollar (CAD) still shed some ground against the Greenback on Wednesday, trimming a scant tenth of a percent and snapping a two-day win streak that saw the Loonie recover around nine-tenths of a percent from multi-year lows. USD/CAD cycled just below the 1.4000 handle during the midweek market session, testing the key psychological level but keeping price action hampered on the low side of the key price level.
With USD/CAD holding close to a 54-month high near 1.4100, bearish momentum in the chart has limited potential to drag bids back into the 50-day Exponential Moving Average (EMA) near 1.3800.
USD/CAD daily chart 
Canadian Dollar FAQs
The key factors driving the Canadian Dollar (CAD) are the level of interest rates set by the Bank of Canada (BoC), the price of Oil, Canada’s largest export, the health of its economy, inflation and the Trade Balance, which is the difference between the value of Canada’s exports versus its imports. Other factors include market sentiment – whether investors are taking on more risky assets (risk-on) or seeking safe-havens (risk-off) – with risk-on being CAD-positive. As its largest trading partner, the health of the US economy is also a key factor influencing the Canadian Dollar.
The Bank of Canada (BoC) has a significant influence on the Canadian Dollar by setting the level of interest rates that banks can lend to one another. This influences the level of interest rates for everyone. The main goal of the BoC is to maintain inflation at 1-3% by adjusting interest rates up or down. Relatively higher interest rates tend to be positive for the CAD. The Bank of Canada can also use quantitative easing and tightening to influence credit conditions, with the former CAD-negative and the latter CAD-positive.
The price of Oil is a key factor impacting the value of the Canadian Dollar. Petroleum is Canada’s biggest export, so Oil price tends to have an immediate impact on the CAD value. Generally, if Oil price rises CAD also goes up, as aggregate demand for the currency increases. The opposite is the case if the price of Oil falls. Higher Oil prices also tend to result in a greater likelihood of a positive Trade Balance, which is also supportive of the CAD.
While inflation had always traditionally been thought of as a negative factor for a currency since it lowers the value of money, the opposite has actually been the case in modern times with the relaxation of cross-border capital controls. Higher inflation tends to lead central banks to put up interest rates which attracts more capital inflows from global investors seeking a lucrative place to keep their money. This increases demand for the local currency, which in Canada’s case is the Canadian Dollar.
Macroeconomic data releases gauge the health of the economy and can have an impact on the Canadian Dollar. Indicators such as GDP, Manufacturing and Services PMIs, employment, and consumer sentiment surveys can all influence the direction of the CAD. A strong economy is good for the Canadian Dollar. Not only does it attract more foreign investment but it may encourage the Bank of Canada to put up interest rates, leading to a stronger currency. If economic data is weak, however, the CAD is likely to fall.
Information on these pages contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Markets and instruments profiled on this page are for informational purposes only and should not in any way come across as a recommendation to buy or sell in these assets. You should do your own thorough research before making any investment decisions. FXStreet does not in any way guarantee that this information is free from mistakes, errors, or material misstatements. It also does not guarantee that this information is of a timely nature. Investing in Open Markets involves a great deal of risk, including the loss of all or a portion of your investment, as well as emotional distress. All risks, losses and costs associated with investing, including total loss of principal, are your responsibility. The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of FXStreet nor its advertisers. The author will not be held responsible for information that is found at the end of links posted on this page.
If not otherwise explicitly mentioned in the body of the article, at the time of writing, the author has no position in any stock mentioned in this article and no business relationship with any company mentioned. The author has not received compensation for writing this article, other than from FXStreet.
FXStreet and the author do not provide personalized recommendations. The author makes no representations as to the accuracy, completeness, or suitability of this information. FXStreet and the author will not be liable for any errors, omissions or any losses, injuries or damages arising from this information and its display or use. Errors and omissions excepted.
The author and FXStreet are not registered investment advisors and nothing in this article is intended to be investment advice.
Recommended content
Editors’ Picks
AUD/USD languishes near multi-year lows below 0.6250 after dovish RBA Minutes
AUD/USD remains depressed below 0.6250 early Tuesday after the December RBA Minutes reiterated that upside inflation risks had diminished, which reaffirms bets for a rate cut in early 2025. This, along with concerns about China's fragile economic recovery and US-China trade war, undermines the Aussie and weighs on the pair.
USD/JPY eases toward 157.00 after Japanese verbal intervention
USD/JPY has come under renewed selling pressure, easing toward 157.00 after Japanese Finance Minister Kato's verbal intervention. The pair erased early gains, induced by the October BoJ meeting Minutes. However, the downside could be limited as the US Dollar hold the previous rebound.
Gold remains stuck between two key barriers amid thin trading
Gold price is attempting another run higher while defending the $2,600 threshold early Tuesday. In doing so, Gold price replicates the recovery moves seen in Monday’s trading, which eventually fizzled out on a broad US Dollar comeback in tandem with US Treasury bond yields.
Solana dominates Bitcoin, Ethereum in price performance and trading volume: Glassnode
Solana is up 6% on Monday following a Glassnode report indicating that SOL has seen more capital increase than Bitcoin and Ethereum. Despite the large gains suggesting a relatively heated market, SOL could still stretch its growth before establishing a top for the cycle.
Bank of England stays on hold, but a dovish front is building
Bank of England rates were maintained at 4.75% today, in line with expectations. However, the 6-3 vote split sent a moderately dovish signal to markets, prompting some dovish repricing and a weaker pound. We remain more dovish than market pricing for 2025.
Best Forex Brokers with Low Spreads
VERIFIED Low spreads are crucial for reducing trading costs. Explore top Forex brokers offering competitive spreads and high leverage. Compare options for EUR/USD, GBP/USD, USD/JPY, and Gold.