USD/CAD hovers near 1.3600 ahead of BoC interest rate decision, Fed Powell’s testimony

The USD/CAD pair trades close to three-month high near 1.3600 in the late European session on Tuesday. The Loonie asset holds strength as the market mood is cautious ahead of Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell’s testimony before Congress on Wednesday and a packed United States economic calendar this week.

S&P 500 futures exhibit significant losses in the early American session, indicating a decline in the risk appetite of the market participants. The US Dollar is slightly bullish after closing in negative territory in the last two trading sessions. The US Dollar Index (DXY) is up 0.08%, around 103.90 ahead of the Fed Powell’s testimony.

Fed Powell is expected to maintain hawkish rhetoric amid less conviction over inflation returning to the 2% target. Powell may reiterate that there is no need of urgency for rate cuts.

But before that, investors will focus on the Institute of Supply Management (ISM) Services PMI for February, which will be published at 15:00 GMT. According to economists, the Services PMI representing the service sector, which accounts for two-third of the US economy is expected to drop to 53.0 from 53.4 in January.

Meanwhile, the Canadian Dollar will be guided by the interest rate decision from the Bank of Canada (BoC), which will be announced on Wednesday. The BoC is expected to hold interest rates at 5% for the fifth time in a row. Market participants will focus on the guidance about when the BoC will start reducing interest rates.