- USD/CAD appreciates as commodity-linked CAD faces challenges due to lower Oil prices.
- WTI price falls as Eight OPEC+ members are set to raise production by 180,000 barrels per day in October.
- The US Dollar advanced following July’s US Personal Consumption Expenditures Index data.
USD/CAD retraces its recent losses, trading around 1.3500 during the Asian session on Monday. This upside is attributed to the tepid commodity-linked Canadian Dollar (CAD) following the lower crude Oil prices. Given the fact that Canada is the largest Oil exporter to the United States (US).
West Texas Intermediate (WTI) Oil price falls for the second successive session, trading around $72.50 per barrel at the time of writing. This decline may be linked to the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and their allies (OPEC+) plans to increase production in the coming quarter.
Reuters reported, citing six sources, that OPEC+ is poised to move forward with a planned increase in Oil output starting in October. Eight OPEC+ members are set to raise production by 180,000 barrels per day (bpd) next month as part of a strategy to begin unwinding their most recent reduction of 2.2 million bpd, while maintaining other cuts until the end of 2025.
US Dollar (USD) received support as July’s US Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) Index data led traders to scale back expectations of an aggressive Federal Reserve rate cut in September. According to the CME FedWatch Tool, markets are fully anticipating at least a 25 basis point (bps) rate cut by the Fed at its September meeting.
Traders are now likely to focus on the upcoming US employment figures, including the Nonfarm Payrolls (NFP) for August, to gain further insights into the potential size and pace of Fed rate cuts. On the Loonie front, S&P Global Manufacturing PMI will be eyed on Tuesday.
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.
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