|

USD/CAD stays near 1.3700 after expected decline in US inflation

  • USD/CAD changes little near 1.3700 after the release of the US CPI report for July.
  • The inflation data showed that year-on-year price pressures decelerated expectedly.
  • The BoC is expected to cut interest rates for the third time in a row.

The USD/CAD pair hovers near the round-level support of 1.3700 in Wednesday’s New York session. The Loonie asset changes little after the release of the United States (US) Consumer Price Index (CPI) report, which shows that price pressures slowed expectedly in July.

The CPI report showed that annual headline and core inflation, which doesn’t include volatile items such as food and energy, decelerated by one-tenth to 2.9% and 3.2%, respectively. Monthly headline and core inflation rose by 0.2%.

An expected decline in the US inflation has offered cushion to the US Dollar (USD), which was on track to revisit seven-month low. The US Dollar Index (DXY), which tracks the Greenback’s value against six major currencies, finds support after posting an intraday low at 102.36.

The inflation report has boosted confidence that price pressures are on track to return to the desired rate of 2%. However, expectations of a Federal Reserve (Fed) big interest-rate cut announcement have eased. The CME FedWatch tool shows that the likelihood of a 50-basis point (bp) interest-rate reduction has eased to 41.5% from 54.5% after the release of the July’s inflation report.

Meanwhile, the Canadian Dollar (CAD) has faced mild selling pressure as Oil prices have corrected gradually after a one-way rally. The Oil prices have dropped as investors look for fresh developments on conflicts between Iran and Israel in the Middle East. It is worth noting that Canada is the leading exporter of Oil to the US and lower prices of black gold weighs on the Canadian Dollar.

This week, the Loonie will be majorly guided by the market speculation for Bank of Canada (BoC) rate cuts amid absence of top-tier economic data. Investors expect that the BoC could extend its policy-easing cycle in September to prevent labor market from worsening further.

Economic Indicator

Consumer Price Index ex Food & Energy (YoY)

Inflationary or deflationary tendencies are measured by periodically summing the prices of a basket of representative goods and services and presenting the data as the Consumer Price Index (CPI). CPI data is compiled on a monthly basis and released by the US Department of Labor Statistics. The YoY reading compares the prices of goods in the reference month to the same month a year earlier. The CPI Ex Food & Energy excludes the so-called more volatile food and energy components to give a more accurate measurement of price pressures. Generally speaking, a high reading is bullish for the US Dollar (USD), while a low reading is seen as bearish.

Read more.

Last release: Wed Aug 14, 2024 12:30

Frequency: Monthly

Actual: 3.2%

Consensus: 3.2%

Previous: 3.3%

Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics

The US Federal Reserve has a dual mandate of maintaining price stability and maximum employment. According to such mandate, inflation should be at around 2% YoY and has become the weakest pillar of the central bank’s directive ever since the world suffered a pandemic, which extends to these days. Price pressures keep rising amid supply-chain issues and bottlenecks, with the Consumer Price Index (CPI) hanging at multi-decade highs. The Fed has already taken measures to tame inflation and is expected to maintain an aggressive stance in the foreseeable future.

Author

Sagar Dua

Sagar Dua

FXStreet

Sagar Dua is associated with the financial markets from his college days. Along with pursuing post-graduation in Commerce in 2014, he started his markets training with chart analysis.

More from Sagar Dua
Share:

Editor's Picks

AUD/USD remains above 0.7200 after China's trade data

AUD/USD sits above 0.7200 in the Asian session on Tuesday, near its highest level since May 14. The US Dollar stays under pressure as a rallying Japanese Yen outweighs support from hawkish Fed bets and geopolitical tensions. This, along with firming expectations for another RBA rate hike later this month, acts as a tailwind for the Aussie. However, mixed China trade balance data keep the pair restricted.

USD/JPY rebounds above 154.00 as markets assess BoJ outlook

USD/JPY rebounds from the six-month low it touched below 153.00 earlier in the day and trades above 154.00 in the second half of the day. Nevertheless, the upside attempts resemble technical corrections for now as Japan's upbeat wage growth data and Q2 GDP revision cement bets on a BoJ rate hike next week and continue to support the Japanese Yen.

Gold reverses early gains as US Dollar rebounds, Oil prices rise
Gold (XAU/USD) struggles to hold early gains and reverses course on Tuesday as a modest rebound in the US Dollar (USD) and rising Oil prices weigh on the precious metal. At the time of writing, XAU/USD trades around $4,400 after reaching an intraday high near $4,443.
Ripple and Stellar outlook: Hold bullish bias above EMAs as derivatives back upside
Ripple (XRP) and Stellar (XLM) hold above the key support zones on Tuesday, hinting at an upside move. Derivatives metrics further support the recovery, with both altcoins showing positive funding rates and rising long positions. Derivatives data shows a bullish tilt among XRP and XLM traders.
Europe in focus: September 2026
Six major net contributors demanded substantial cuts to the European Commission’s proposed 2028–2034 EU budget. Germany, Denmark, the Netherlands, Austria, Finland and Sweden issued a joint position on 27 August calling for the nearly €2 trillion proposal to be reduced by several hundred billion euros and rejecting additional common EU borrowing.
Diesel’s record $100 warning: The oil shock hiding in plain sight

The Oil market may look calmer than it did a few months ago, but diesel is sending a very different message. The US diesel crack spread, the premium of ultra-low sulphur diesel futures over WTI, recently surged above $100 per barrel for the first time, reaching an intraday record of just over $102.00.