USD/CAD daily chart with support and resistance lines on it. Click to enlarge:
- RMPI: Monday, 12:30. The Raw Materials Price Index bounced back in July with a gain of 1.2%, but this fell short of the estimate of 1.6%. The estimate for August stands at 1.3%.
- GDP: Tuesday, 12:30. Canada releases GDP on a monthly basis. The economy has posted growth rates of 0.2% in the past two months, pointing to weak economic activity. The markets are braced for a weaker release in July, with an estimate of 0.1%.
- Manufacturing PMI: Tuesday, 13:30. The manufacturing sector is struggling, with the PMI in contraction territory in four of the past five releases. In August, the PMI slipped to 49.1 points.
- Trade Balance: Friday, 12:30. After posting two back-to-back trade surpluses, Canada recorded a trade deficit of C$1.1 billion in July. This missed the estimate of a trade surplus of $0.2 billion. A deficit of $1.1 billion is projected for August.
- Ivey PMI: Friday, 14:30. The PMI rose sharply in August to 60.6, up from 54.2 a month earlier. This marks the first time that the PMI has broken above the 60-level since October. The upward trend is expected to continue in September, with a forecast of 62.6.
USD/CAD Technical Analysis
Technical lines from top to bottom:
We start with resistance at 1.3630. 1.3565 is next.
1.3445 has held in resistance since the first week of June. This is followed by 1.3385.
1.3350 is the next resistance line.
1.3265 was active throughout the week. USD/CAD ended the week just below this line.
1.3175 is providing support.
1.3125 (mentioned last week) is next. It has provided support since the end of July.
1.3048 is protecting the round number of 1.3000, which has psychological significance.
1.2916 has held firm since October.
1.2830 is the final support line for now.
I am neutral on USD/CAD
The Canadian dollar continues to drift, showing little appetite to move in either direction. Recent economic numbers have been decent, which has offset the drop in oil prices. However, further drops in crude could weigh on the Canadian currency.
Further reading:
- EUR/USD forecast – for everything related to the euro.
- GBP/USD forecast – Pound/dollar predictions
- USD/JPY forecast – analysis for dollar/yen
- AUD/USD forecast – projections for the Aussie dollar.
- Forex+ weekly forecast – Outlook for the major events of the week.
Safe trading!