|

USD/CAD: Keeping risk premium on for longer – ING

While a Bank of Canada hold is widely expected, it's the looming US-Canada trade tensions and the outcome of Canada's late-April election that may shape the CAD's path. With US growth concerns persisting and new tariff risks on the horizon, USD/CAD remains vulnerable to volatility, ING’s FX analysts Francesco Pesole and Chris Turner note.

USD/CAD premium persists on soft US outlook

"We are releasing this note on the day the Bank of Canada announces policy, and we narrowly expect a hold. That does not have major implications for USD/CAD."

"The Fed-BoC gap has only moved around 20bp in favour of CAD in April, which is not enough to justify USD/CAD below 1.40. But our view is that USD will continue discounting soft growth expectations for longer, which can justify the USD risk premium."

"The direction of the US-Canada trade relationship will be the main determinant of CAD moves ahead. Canada elects a new government at the end of April; Liberal leader Mark Carney is slightly ahead in the polls. Whoever wins promises to fight Trump on trade, and risks that new tariffs will be threatened ahead of very tricky USMCA renewal talks leave CAD at risk of corrections."

Author

FXStreet Insights Team

The FXStreet Insights Team is a group of journalists that handpicks selected market observations published by renowned experts. The content includes notes by commercial as well as additional insights by internal and external analysts.

More from FXStreet Insights Team
Share:

Markets move fast. We move first.

Orange Juice Newsletter brings you expert driven insights - not headlines. Every day on your inbox.

By subscribing you agree to our Terms and conditions.

Editor's Picks

EUR/USD holds near 1.1800 after pulling back from three-month highs

EUR/USD holds gains for the third successive session, trading around 1.1790 during the Asian hours on Wednesday. On the daily chart, technical analysis indicates a persistent bullish bias, as the pair moves upward within the ascending channel pattern. Additionally, the 14-day Relative Strength Index stands at 71 (overbought), which could temper immediate upside as momentum stretches. An RSI overbought status would favor consolidation phases before trend resumption.

GBP/USD retreats below 1.3500 on modest USD recovery

GBP/USD retreats from session highs and trades slightly below 1.3500 in the second half of the day on Tuesday. The US Dollar stages a rebound following the better-than-expected Q3 growth data, limiting the pair's upside ahead of the Christmas break.

Gold: Record rally sustains near $4,500 on safe-haven flows

Gold sustains the record-setting rally near $4,500 in the Asian session on Wednesday. The Israel-Iran conflict and the escalating US-Venezuela tensions boost safe-haven flows into Gold. Furthermore, US Q3 GDP data fails to lift the US Dollar amid growing bets for two Fed rate cuts in 2026, underpinning the non-yielding bullion. 

Top Crypto Losers: NIGHT, PUMP, TAO – Altcoins plunge just before the holidays

Midnight, Pump.fun and Bittensor are leading losses over the last 24 hours as the broader cryptocurrency market declines. The altcoins under pressure risk further losses as the selling pressure rises just before the holidays.

Ten questions that matter going into 2026

2026 may be less about a neat “base case” and more about a regime shift—the market can reprice what matters most (growth, inflation, fiscal, geopolitics, concentration). The biggest trap is false comfort: the same trades can look defensive… right up until they become crowded.

Dogecoin ticks lower as low Open Interest, funding rate weigh on buyers

Dogecoin extends its decline as risk-off sentiment dominates across the crypto market. DOGE’s derivatives market remains weak amid suppressed futures Open Interest and perpetual funding rate.