empty
30.04.2025 01:09 PM
Canadian Dollar Preparing for a Breakout

Retail sales in Canada fell by 0.4% month-over-month in February but rebounded in March with a strong increase of 0.7%. On a year-over-year basis, retail sales declined to 4.7% in February, down from a revised 5.3% in January.

Retail sales in Canada fell by 0.4% month-over-month in February but rebounded in March with a strong increase of 0.7%. On a year-over-year basis, retail sales declined to 4.7% in February, down from a revised 5.3% in January. One of the drivers of increased spending was concern over new U.S. tariffs, which prompted consumers to stock up in advance—therefore, spending is likely to show a decline going forward.

This image is no longer relevant

Today, GDP data for Canada covering February and March will be published, though it is unlikely to have a significant market impact. Instead, the market will be watching the release of the initial U.S. GDP estimate with much greater interest, followed by the U.S. jobs report on Friday. Canada's GDP showed steady growth throughout 2024, but the uncertainty that emerged after the onset of trade wars could erase all the gains.

Even a slight slowdown in Canadian GDP growth may turn out to be inconsequential, as the first estimate of U.S. Q1 GDP—due today—could show a much worse result. If pessimistic expectations are confirmed, a spike in volatility is inevitable and will likely lead to another wave of U.S. dollar selling.

Canada has held its federal elections, with Liberal leader Mark Carney winning by a narrow margin, as expected. Carney previously served as Governor of both the Bank of England and the Bank of Canada. He is considered a political heavyweight, and his main task is believed to be helping Canada withstand pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump. "America wants our land, our resources, our water, our country," Carney said in his victory speech. "These are not empty threats. President Trump is trying to break us so that America can own us. That will never, ever happen."

The loonie barely reacted to the election results but is expected to respond to Carney's subsequent actions. Since he won by a narrow margin, he will be forced to form a minority government, which is likely to put some pressure on the CAD. However, a large-scale sell-off of the Canadian dollar seems unlikely at this stage.

The Bank of Canada will hold its next meeting on June 4, which leaves ample time to assess both Carney's initial steps and the overall state of the economy. At its last meeting, the BoC kept the rate unchanged at 2.75%, and if incoming data proves weak, further rate cuts may follow, putting additional pressure on the Canadian dollar.

The net short position on the CAD dropped by a notable $1.15 billion over the reporting week, to –$4.86 billion. The reduction has been particularly pronounced over the past two weeks, and while speculative positioning still favors the U.S. dollar, the fair value has finally diverged from the long-term average with a clear intention to move lower.

This image is no longer relevant

We expect USD/CAD to move lower from current levels toward the 1.3410–1.3430 range. The pair spent the past week in consolidation, but a likely upward correction following a fairly strong decline never occurred, meaning the risk of a corrective bounce remains. The strong resistance zone at 1.4130–1.4160 is unlikely to be reached—resuming the downtrend would require a strong catalyst, which could arrive today following the release of a broad set of U.S. economic statistics.

Kuvat Raharjo,
Analytical expert of InstaForex
© 2007-2025
Select timeframe
5
min
15
min
30
min
1
hour
4
hours
1
day
1
week
Earn on cryptocurrency rate changes with InstaForex
Download MetaTrader 4 and open your first trade
  • Grand Choice
    Contest by
    InstaForex
    InstaForex always strives to help you
    fulfill your biggest dreams.
    JOIN CONTEST

Recommended Stories

Gold Rebounds as Fiscal Risks Resurface

Gold is swinging between extremes as spring draws to a close. The week ending May 16 was the worst for the precious metal due to optimism that, following a trade

Marek Petkovich 17:31 2025-05-23 UTC+2

AUD/JPY. Analysis and Forecast

Today, the AUD/JPY pair has started to attract buying interest, halting its pullback from the monthly high as demand for the Australian dollar emerges. Today's talks between U.S. Deputy Secretary

Irina Yanina 17:25 2025-05-23 UTC+2

USD/CAD. Analysis and Forecast

The pair is trending lower, dropping close to the key psychological level of 1.3800 amid broad-based U.S. dollar weakness. Traders have raised their expectations for Federal Reserve rate cuts following

Irina Yanina 16:43 2025-05-23 UTC+2

USD declares war on EUR

What's new is often just what's been forgotten. As spring draws to a close, the long-dismissed mantra "sell America" is making a comeback in markets. The phrase gained traction following

Marek Petkovich 14:59 2025-05-23 UTC+2

USD/JPY: what happens with yen?

The USD/JPY pair is experiencing heightened price turbulence. At the end of April, the pair sharply declined, hitting a 7-month low at 139.90. Then, last week, a northbound impulse pushed

Irina Manzenko 13:52 2025-05-23 UTC+2

Market Chaos to Continue (There is a likelihood of continued local declines in #USDX and gold prices)

Markets continue to act blindly amid the chaotic actions of Donald Trump, who is trying to pull the U.S. out of a deep, all-encompassing crisis like Baron Munchausen pulling himself

Pati Gani 10:19 2025-05-23 UTC+2

The Market Tucks Its Tail

A necessary project at the wrong time. The House of Representatives has approved Donald Trump's tax cut initiative. The President hopes it will help stimulate the economy and offset shortcomings

Marek Petkovich 09:29 2025-05-23 UTC+2

GBP/USD Overview – May 23: No Talks, but Hang in There

On Thursday, the GBP/USD currency pair traded relatively calmly, but like EUR/USD, it has been rising for two weeks. At first glance, one might wonder what reasons traders have

Paolo Greco 08:15 2025-05-23 UTC+2

EUR/USD Overview – May 23: The Rebellion Against the Dollar Continues

The EUR/USD currency pair traded relatively calmly on Thursday, yet it has risen significantly over the past two weeks. This movement can be interpreted in several ways. From a technical

Paolo Greco 08:15 2025-05-23 UTC+2

What to Pay Attention to on May 23? A Breakdown of Fundamental Events for Beginners

Very few macroeconomic reports are scheduled for Friday. Only two are noteworthy: the final estimate of Germany's Q1 GDP and April's UK retail sales data. The German GDP report

Paolo Greco 05:58 2025-05-23 UTC+2
Can't speak right now?
Ask your question in the chat.
Widget callback
 

Dear visitor,

Your IP address shows that you are currently located in the USA. If you are a resident of the United States, you are prohibited from using the services of InstaFintech Group including online trading, online transfers, deposit/withdrawal of funds, etc.

If you think you are seeing this message by mistake and your location is not the US, kindly proceed to the website. Otherwise, you must leave the website in order to comply with government restrictions.

Why does your IP address show your location as the USA?

  • - you are using a VPN provided by a hosting company based in the United States;
  • - your IP does not have proper WHOIS records;
  • - an error occurred in the WHOIS geolocation database.

Please confirm whether you are a US resident or not by clicking the relevant button below. If you choose the wrong option, being a US resident, you will not be able to open an account with InstaForex anyway.

We are sorry for any inconvenience caused by this message.