Swissquote Bank Research Team
Swissquote Bank Ltd
Following January’s Bank of Canada’s (BoC) meeting, which decided to maintain its key rate at 1.75% for the second consecutive time, the loonie is holding up against the greenback. Under current settings, we expect the Canadian economy to stay robust and the BoC possibly to hike its rate by December 2019. USD/CAD’s drop from yesterday might be over, as optimism for resolution of the Sino-American trade dispute builds. However, risk of a US government shutdown by Saturday looms. Currently trading at 1.3225, USD/CAD is heading along 1.3255 short-term.
Canada’s GDP growth is now projected at 1.70% from a prior 2.10%. Inflation remains consistent, with December headline and core consumer prices at 2% and 2.30% (prior figures: 1.70%). The labour outlook remains highly constructive. Hourly earnings have taken off since a November 2018 downtrend, up 1.80% in January while the economy built 67,000 jobs in the same period. The recent bounce in oil prices from December is good for Canada’s trade balance. It benefits from OPEC’s price hike and Saudi Arabia’s output cut, but also from USA’s oil import sanction against Venezuela, as US refiners are willing to substitute it with Canadian heavy crude.
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This report has been prepared by Swissquote Bank Ltd and is solely been published for informational purposes and is not to be construed as a solicitation or an offer to buy or sell any currency or any other financial instrument. Views expressed in this report may be subject to change without prior notice and may differ or be contrary to opinions expressed by Swissquote Bank Ltd personnel at any given time. Swissquote Bank Ltd is under no obligation to update or keep current the information herein, the report should not be regarded by recipients as a substitute for the exercise of their own judgment.
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