|

USD/CAD: USD retains a firm undertone – Scotiabank

The CAD retains a soft undertone, Scotiabank’s Chief FX Strategist Shaun Osborne notes.

CAD remains under pressure on soft commodities

“Spot continues to trade well above out FV estimate (1.3581 today) but variables (such as softer commodities/terms of trade) are edging against the CAD somewhat which will likely keep the CAD tone defensive for now. There are no Canadian data reports due ahead of Friday’s employment report which may help settle expectations for the BoC policy at this month’s meeting.”

“Swaps are sitting on the 25/50 fence with 35bps priced in. Yesterday, former BoC Governor Beaudry suggested the Bank should cut 50bps at the upcoming meeting. The USD retains a firm undertone on the intraday and daily charts. The USD rise from last week’s low has barely paused and looks a little stretched on the intraday studies.”

“But, having pushed above the September peak and with intraday and daily DMI oscillators aligned supportively for the USD, a deeper push into the 1.36/1.38 congestion zone appears likely. Support is 1.3620.”

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 seems vulnerable near 0.6800, 10-month low amid bullish USD

AUD/USD languishes near a 10-month low during the Asian session on Friday, awaiting a break below 0.6800 before the next leg up amid a bullish US Dollar. Firming Fed rate-hike expectations, along with fading hopes for US-Iran diplomacy, help the USD hold gains at its highest level since April 2025. Moreover, the RBA’s dovish tilt undermines the Aussie and backs the case for further losses.

USD/JPY bulls turn cautious near 160.00 amid intervention risks

USD/JPY enters a bullish consolidation phase around its highest level since early September as bulls turn cautious amid intervention risk near 160.00. Meanwhile, the downside seems cushioned as the wide US-Japan interest rate gap keeps the Yen carry trade active. Furthermore, the possibility of a jumbo Fed rate hike and Middle East uncertainties hold the US Dollar near a 19-month top, supporting the currency pair.



Gold finds temporary floor near $3,850, downside risks persist

Gold rises almost 0.9% to near $3,915 in the early trade on Friday after posting a fresh 13-month low near $3,850 the previous day. The recovery move in the Gold price after a massive decline in the past few days started Tuesday appears to be short-lived as several headwinds are boosting bears to keep up the dominance.

Bitcoin slips below $70,000 for the first time since August

Bitcoin is attracting some serious sellers, pushing it below $70,000 on Friday after an over 3% decline the previous day. The Crypto King is down over 5% so far this week, and a bearish close could mark its sixth consecutive week of losses. The technical outlook for Bitcoin is bearish, with sellers tightening their grip despite overextending the downtrend to oversold levels.

Asian stocks post mixed results amid Nvidia leadership turmoil, Anthropic IPO buzz
Asian stocks post mixed results on Friday, with Japan’s Nikkei 225 Index climbing 0.91% to around 61,370 and China’s Shanghai Composite rising 0.22% to 3,660. Conversely, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index fell 0.82% to 23,810, while South Korea’s KOSPI declined 0.49% to near 5,320.
What the US CPI headline doesn’t tell you about inflation

Brent crude has fallen about a third since mid-October on hopes the Iran war is ending, but diesel, freight and fertiliser costs haven't followed. Those costs reach US consumer prices in stages through 2027 and could keep inflation high after gasoline gets cheaper.