CANADA FX DEBT-Canadian dollar pares weekly gain as GDP boost proves short-lived

Reuters · 09/27 18:50
CANADA FX DEBT-Canadian dollar pares weekly gain as GDP boost proves short-lived

Canadian dollar falls 0.4% against the greenback

For the week, the currency gains 0.4%

Canada's GDP increases 0.2% in July

Bond yields decline across the curve

By Fergal Smith

- The Canadian dollar weakened against its U.S. counterpart on Friday, giving back some of its weekly gain, as technical selling of the currency offset stronger-than-expected domestic GDP data for July.

Canada's gross domestic product increased 0.2% in July from June, eclipsing estimates for a gain of 0.1%.

Still, an advance estimate indicated that growth stalled in August, which left the market continuing to price in a roughly 50% chance of a larger-than-usual half-percentage-point interest rate cut by the Bank of Canada in October.

The Canadian dollar initially rallied after the data but soon gave back the gains.

"What we're seeing here is U.S. dollar bulls trying to push USD-CAD away from a month-end close that would be disadvantageous," said Michael Goshko, senior market analyst at Convera Canada ULC.

"If we get a close below last month's low of 1.3440, that's looking particularly technically weak for dollar-Canada."

The Canadian dollar CAD= was trading 0.4% lower at 1.3520 per U.S. dollar, or 73.96 U.S. cents, after trading in a range of 1.3464 to 1.3526.

For the week, the currency was up 0.4% as the greenback .DXY extended recent losses against a basket of major currencies.

The price of oil CLc1, one of Canada's major exports, rose 0.8% to $68.18 a barrel, but was on track for a weekly decline as investors weighed expectations for higher global supply against fresh stimulus from top crude importer China.

Canadian bond yields fell across the curve ahead of a market closure on Monday for the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.

The 10-year CA10YT=RR was down 6.4 basis points at 2.956%, tracking the decline in U.S. Treasury yields after data showed U.S. inflation continuing to ease.


(Reporting by Fergal Smith; Editing by Leslie Adler)

((fergal.smith@thomsonreuters.com; +1 647 480 7446;))