|

USD/CAD: Loonie prospects to improve by mid-year – CIBC

There is scope for near-term softness on the policy divergence that's underway between the Fed and BoC, but a broad weakening trend in the USD by mid-year will give CAD a lift, economists at CIBC Capital Markets report.

Loonie could stay under a bit of pressure in the near term

“The Loonie could stay under a bit of pressure in the near term with risks of a move towards 1.37, as markets focus on the divergence in policy that is underway between the Fed, which is still expected to take rates a quarter point higher at least two more times, and the BoC that is currently on hold.”

“By June, we still expect to see enough evidence of a cooling in US growth and inflation to have markets looking past the end of a US tightening cycle, a development that should put the US Dollar on the defensive.”  

“We see USD/CAD ending the year at 1.31.”

“With global growth likely to receive a lift as central banks outside of North America also start to cut policy rates towards neutral, and higher commodity prices benefitting Canada’s export sector, look for USD/CAD to reach 1.28 in 2024.”

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:

Editor's Picks

AUD/USD turns south toward 0.6900 as USD firms up

AUD/USD sees fresh selling and drops toward 0.6900 in late Asian trading on Monday, as renewed US Dollar strength weighs on the pair amid lingering Middle East and Russia-Ukraine geopolitical tensions. Focus remains on Oil prices, Treasury bond yields, and RBA expectations for fresh trading impetus in the major.

USD/JPY retakes 158.00 amid hawkish BoJ bets, firmer USD

USD/JPY erases losses and retakes 158.00 in the Asian session on Monday, trading within a one-week-old range. Geopolitical uncertainty continues to underpin the US Dollar, despite fading Fed rate hike hopes, supporting the pair's rebound. However, further upside could be capped by hawkish BoJ expectations and looming intervention risks that could support the Japanese Yen.

Gold languishes below $4,200 amid high US yields

Gold trims some losses on Monday, but remains trapped within previous ranges, with upside attempts limited below $4,200 and with two-month lows of $4,110 at a short distance. The recent pullback on the US Dollar Index has provided some support for precious metals although the high US Treasury yields are keeping a floor on US Dollar dips so far.

Pi Network risks a steeper decline as bearish momentum builds

Pi Network extends losses below $0.090 maintaining a steady decline for the fifth consecutive day. The retail demand remains firm, with the notional value of active perpeutals holding above $10 million. The technical outlook for PI remains bearish as bearish momentum mounts.

ISM Services PMI expected to show robust US economy in September

The US ISM Services PMI is expected to improve marginally in September. The US services sector is expected to remain well into expansionary territory. Bets of further Fed tightening appear to have lost traction in the last few days.

The Euro is near a one-year low: Inflation could trigger its rebound, not its fall

EUR/USD has fallen to its lowest level since May 2025. The pair hit 1.1312 on Wednesday and trades well below the January peak of 1.2082. The decline reflects a powerful combination of US Dollar strength, geopolitical uncertainty and renewed concerns about Europe's exposure to higher energy prices.