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

Consumer lending in the US is slowing down

According to data, consumer lending in the U.S. grew at its slowest pace in three months in May amid a decline in outstanding balances on credit cards and other revolving

Jakub Novak 10:43 2025-07-09 UTC+2

The ECB Is in a Good Position

While the euro remains under pressure against the dollar, risking a complete loss of its bullish momentum, one European policymaker believes the European Central Bank should not be overly concerned

Jakub Novak 10:33 2025-07-09 UTC+2

What to Watch on July 9th: Fundamental Events Breakdown for Beginners

There are no macroeconomic publications scheduled for Wednesday. The week began fairly actively, with both currency pairs declining, even though the fundamental backdrop rather points to another decline

Paolo Greco 08:57 2025-07-09 UTC+2

GBP/USD Overview on July 9, 2025

The GBP/USD pair continued its downward movement on Tuesday, which continues to puzzle observers. As we've repeatedly noted, no instrument in any market can move in the same direction indefinitely

Paolo Greco 08:18 2025-07-09 UTC+2

EUR/USD Overview on July 9, 2025

The EUR/USD currency pair maintained a corrective tone throughout Tuesday. There were no macroeconomic events that day, but Donald Trump "listed" all the countries for which tariffs will be raised

Paolo Greco 07:47 2025-07-09 UTC+2

XAU/USD. Analysis and Forecast

Today, gold remains under pressure; however, several factors are limiting further decline. Expectations that the tariffs imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump will support inflation in the United States

Irina Yanina 19:23 2025-07-08 UTC+2

USD/CHF. Analysis and Forecast

On Tuesday, the USD/CHF pair is under selling pressure, pulling back from the weekly high near the key psychological level of 0.8000. This decline is driven by a combination

Irina Yanina 12:47 2025-07-08 UTC+2

What to Watch on July 8th? Fundamental Events Overview for Beginners

No macroeconomic publications are scheduled for Tuesday. However, it cannot be said that the market was idle on Monday despite the lack of key macroeconomic events—there was still enough news

Paolo Greco 11:19 2025-07-08 UTC+2

Markets given breathing room as tariff deadline pushed to August

No need to panic. The market is simply cautious about the White House's return to the tariffs announced on America's Liberation Day. Donald Trump sent letters to various countries specifying

Marek Petkovich 10:14 2025-07-08 UTC+2

GBP/USD Pair Overview on July 8, 2025

The GBP/USD pair declined slightly on Monday, but it's still premature to speak of a downtrend. From a technical standpoint, the pair remains below the moving average line; however

Paolo Greco 08:55 2025-07-08 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.