USD/CAD review of December 2, 2024
In the Monday morning trading session, USD/CAD shows a recovery from the bearish trend of the end of last week. The pair is approaching the 1.4030 mark, where it is trying to gain a foothold higher. Market participants are waiting for the release of key data that can become a driver of further movement. Today at 16:30 and 16:45 (GMT+2), the S&P Global business activity indices for November for the United States and Canada will be published. According to forecasts, the US indicator will remain at 48.8, which will indicate stagnation, and the ISM index for the manufacturing sector may rise to 47.5 from the previous 46.5. The Canadian index, on the contrary, may drop to 50.8 against 51.1 earlier.
Pressure factors on the Canadian dollar
Recent Canadian GDP data has added pressure on the loonie. In September, the growth was only 0.1% instead of the projected 0.3%. In the third quarter, the economy showed growth of 0.3% on a quarterly basis and 1.0% on an annual basis, which is in line with analysts' expectations. The main contribution to the growth was an increase in consumer spending by 0.9% and government spending by 1.1%. However, investments in new housing decreased by 0.1%, and renovation costs decreased by 0.4%.
Statistics have increased the chances of a rate cut by the Bank of Canada by 50 basis points next month from 31% to 44%. The probability of a softer adjustment by 25 basis points has already been fully taken into account by the market.
US market expectations
American investors are preparing for the release of the November labor market report at the end of the week. It is expected that the number of new jobs outside the agricultural sector will grow to 183 thousand, and the growth rate of average hourly wages will decrease to 0.3% against 0.4% previously. The unemployment rate is likely to remain at 4.1%. Similar indicators in Canada can show the stability of the average wage at 4.9% and unemployment at 6.5%.
USD/CAD Technical Analysis for today
On the daily chart, the Bollinger indicator has leveled off, indicating uncertainty in the short term. The MACD indicator continues to decline, supporting a weak sell signal. The stochastic oscillator is located near the oversold zone.
Trading recommendations
- Buy: after a confident breakdown of the 1.4050 level up with a target at 1.4145. Stop loss is recommended at 1.4000.
- Sell: when rebounding from the 1.4050 level and breaking down the 1.4000 level with a target of 1.3908. The stop loss should be set at 1.4050.