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USD/CAD remains depressed below mid-1.2100s

  • A combination of factors exerted some pressure on USD/CAD for the second straight day.
  • The recent bullish run in oil prices continued underpinning the loonie and capped gains.
  • Sliding US bond yields weighed on the USD and further contributed to the softer tone.
  • Investors now eye a slew of US macro data for some trading impetus ahead of the FOMC.

The USD/CAD pair remained on the defensive through the early European session and was last seen hovering near two-day lows, around the 1.2135 region.

The pair edged lower for the second straight session on Tuesday and retreated further from one-month tops, around the 1.2175-80 region touched last week. The recent strong bullish run in crude oil prices continued underpinning the commodity-linked loonie. This, along with a subdued US dollar demand, exerted some pressure on the USD/CAD pair.

The continuous improvement of the coronavirus situation in the United States and much of Europe has been fueling optimism for a strong recovery in the fuel demand. This, in turn, pushed the commodity to the highest level since October 2018. That said, the prospect of extra supply coming to the market soon from Iran capped any further gains.

On the other hand, the USD was pressured by a fresh leg down in the US Treasury bond yields. However, expectations of a slightly less dovish Fed – amid worries about rising inflationary pressure – should help put a tentative floor under the greenback. This should limit any meaningful slide for the USD/CAD pair, at least for the time being.

Investors might also be reluctant to place any aggressive bets ahead of the highly-anticipated FOMC monetary policy decision on Wednesday. This further makes it prudent to wait for some follow-through selling before confirming that the recent bounce from the vicinity of the key 1.2000 psychological mark, or multi-year lows has already run out of steam.

Traders now look forward to the US economic docket – featuring the release of Retail Sales, Producer Price Index (PPI), Empire State Manufacturing Index and Industrial Production data. This, along with the US bond yields, might influence the USD. Apart from this, oil price dynamics should produce some trading opportunities around the USD/CAD pair.

Technical levels to watch

USD/CAD

Overview
Today last price1.2137
Today Daily Change-0.0007
Today Daily Change %-0.06
Today daily open1.2144
 
Trends
Daily SMA201.2089
Daily SMA501.2256
Daily SMA1001.2447
Daily SMA2001.273
 
Levels
Previous Daily High1.2172
Previous Daily Low1.2128
Previous Weekly High1.2178
Previous Weekly Low1.2057
Previous Monthly High1.2352
Previous Monthly Low1.2013
Daily Fibonacci 38.2%1.2145
Daily Fibonacci 61.8%1.2155
Daily Pivot Point S11.2125
Daily Pivot Point S21.2105
Daily Pivot Point S31.2081
Daily Pivot Point R11.2168
Daily Pivot Point R21.2191
Daily Pivot Point R31.2211

Author

Haresh Menghani

Haresh Menghani is a detail-oriented professional with 10+ years of extensive experience in analysing the global financial markets.

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