USDCAD| FED vs BOC, who will win?

29 mar

The USD/CAD is currently hovering around 1.3540 during the Asian hours on Friday, indicating potential signs of a halt to its four-day consecutive negative trend. This stabilization could be attributed to the positive sentiment surrounding the US dollar, fueled by the Federal Reserve's hawkish stance on maintaining higher interest rates. Specifically, the US annualized GDP recorded a growth of 3.4% in the fourth quarter, surpassing market expectations. Governor Christopher Waller's cautious remarks about delaying rate cuts have helped temper expectations of rate reductions in 2024.

On the other hand, the Canadian dollar has seen an uptick due to prospects of foreign currency inflows, supported by the rise in West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude oil prices. This growth is linked to expectations that OPEC+ will continue production cuts. These developments have bolstered confidence in Canada's economic outlook, reducing expectations of a more accommodative monetary policy from the Bank of Canada (BoC). Therefore, I anticipate a decline towards 1.34 before a recovery towards 1.36. On a weekly basis, the market is consolidating, with too much uncertainty surrounding the future policies of central banks at the moment. It's important to remain cautious and prudent. Best wishes to all for successful trading.