USD CAD SELL (US DOLLAR - CANADIAN DOLLAR)
CAD
FUNDAMENTAL BIAS: BULLISH
1. The Monetary Policy outlook for the BoC
At the July meeting the BoC confirmed market’s speculation that they will continue to scale back asset purchases by tapering QE with another C$1bln reduction per week. Even though the bank’s language and overall tone was in line with overall consensus, the reaction in the CAD suggests that some participants might have been expecting more from the bank in terms of a hawkish tilt. The bank also reiterated that there is particular uncertainty in their projections and stressed that the economic recovery requires extraordinary policy accommodation, which arguably is something the bulls wanted to see removed in the statement.
2. Commodity-linked currency with dependency on Oil exports
Oil staged a massive recovery after hitting rock bottom in 2020. The move higher over the past few months has been driven by (1) supply & demand (OPEC’s production cuts); (2) improving global economic outlook and improving oil demand outlook (vaccines and monetary and fiscal stimulus induced recoveries); (3) rising inflation expectations (reflation). Even though further gains for Oil will arguably prove to be an uphill battle, the bias remains positive in the med-term as long as the current supportive factors and drivers remains intact. We will of course have short-term ebbs and flows as we’ve seen in recent weeks which could affect the CAD from an intermarket point of view, but as long as the med-term view for Oil remains higher that should be supportive for Petro-currencies like the CAD.
3. Developments surrounding the global risk outlook.
As a high-beta currency, CAD has benefited from the market's improving risk outlook over recent months as participants moved out of safehavens and into riskier, higher-yielding assets. As a pro-cyclical currency, the CAD enjoyed upside alongside other cyclical assets going into what majority of market participants think was an early post-recession recovery phase. As long as expectations for the global economy remains positive the overall positive outlook for risk sentiment should be supportive for the CAD in the med-term, but the recent short-term jitters and risk off flows once again showed us why risk sentiment is also a very important short-term driver for the currency.
4. CFTC Analysis
Latest CFTC data for the CAD (updated until 17 August) showed a positioning change of -3850 with a net non-commercial position of +2660. The CAD’s positioning has seen a substantial unwind in the past few weeks after the CAD got a bit frothy after the April BoC policy meeting where the bank took a substantial hawkish tilt. However, in the past few weeks a lot of the froth has been washed out and with the bias for the CAD still bullish in the med-term, the current positioning means we could see med-term buyers stepping back in gradually. The key risk of course this past week has been the deteriorating risk sentiment as well as the downside we saw in Oil, and until that reverses we want to be extra careful of the CAD in the short-term.
USD
FUNDAMENTAL BIAS: NEUTRAL
1. The global risk outlook
Global economic data continues to surprise lower and should continue to struggle to surprise to the upside after the pandemic rebound. As the USD usually moves inversely to global growth that should be supportive for the USD.
2. The Monetary Policy outlook for the FED
In July the FOMC noted that the economy has made progress toward their goals, and they’ll continue to assess progress in coming meetings. They also took a more sanguine view of the virus situation by removing prior comments that sectors affected by the pandemic ‘remain weak but have shown improvement’ and instead replaced it with ‘sectors most affected by the pandemic have shown improvement but have not fully recovered’. This was initially seen as less dovish, but Powell used his usual dovish tone to correct any ‘hawkish’ takes by stressing that employment still has a ‘ways to go’ and noted that there was still "some ground to cover" when it comes to the labour market. He also reiterated that any decision to announce tapering will be done well in advance. For now, markets are looking at the incoming data to decide whether tapering will be announced at the Jackson Hole Symposium or in the fall. This past week we some interesting comments from Fed’s Waller who tilted their language and stance towards Bullard and Kaplan in expecting that two more solid employment prints (800K-1M) would mean substantial further progress has been met and tapering could then start at a faster pace. This was bullish for the USD, but the more important and market moving comments came from Fed’s Clarida who has seemingly moved into the Neutral camp (previously dovish) by saying he agrees with the median Fed projections of a first hike by early 2023 and more importantly his comments about inflation has moved away from the sanguine view expressed by the doves and is more concerned about current price pressures. This shift saw Dollar upside with all eyes on the Sep NFP to see whether markets will expect Sep or Dec to be the official tapering announcement meeting.
3. Real Yields
Despite recent divergence between the USD and US real yields, we still think further downside in real yields will be a struggle so close to new cycle lows and that probability is skewed higher from here given the outlook for growth, inflation and tapering and should support the USD.
4. Economic Data
Retail sales came in below consensus but given the price action it was clear that majority of participants were looking for a much worse number following the colossal drop in the Univ Mich Sentiment report the week before. However, the USD was also supported by the jittery and risk off flows in the markets and was further aided by the Fed’s minutes which confirmed that the median view of the board has shifted towards earlier tapering. In the week ahead all eyes will be on the Jackson Hole Symposium to see whether the market gets an unofficial tapering announcement nod from Fed Chair Powell which if it happens will open up the possibility of an official announcement at the Sep meeting.
4. CFTC Analysis
Latest CFTC data for the USD (updated until 17 August) showed a positioning change of -115 with a net non-commercial position of +19211. For now, with the fundamental outlook still neutral, and with positioning at current levels the incoming data will remain the key driver for the USD’s short-term volatility, with the Jackson Hole and GDP this week the main events to keep on the radar.
FUNDAMENTAL BIAS: BULLISH
1. The Monetary Policy outlook for the BoC
At the July meeting the BoC confirmed market’s speculation that they will continue to scale back asset purchases by tapering QE with another C$1bln reduction per week. Even though the bank’s language and overall tone was in line with overall consensus, the reaction in the CAD suggests that some participants might have been expecting more from the bank in terms of a hawkish tilt. The bank also reiterated that there is particular uncertainty in their projections and stressed that the economic recovery requires extraordinary policy accommodation, which arguably is something the bulls wanted to see removed in the statement.
2. Commodity-linked currency with dependency on Oil exports
Oil staged a massive recovery after hitting rock bottom in 2020. The move higher over the past few months has been driven by (1) supply & demand (OPEC’s production cuts); (2) improving global economic outlook and improving oil demand outlook (vaccines and monetary and fiscal stimulus induced recoveries); (3) rising inflation expectations (reflation). Even though further gains for Oil will arguably prove to be an uphill battle, the bias remains positive in the med-term as long as the current supportive factors and drivers remains intact. We will of course have short-term ebbs and flows as we’ve seen in recent weeks which could affect the CAD from an intermarket point of view, but as long as the med-term view for Oil remains higher that should be supportive for Petro-currencies like the CAD.
3. Developments surrounding the global risk outlook.
As a high-beta currency, CAD has benefited from the market's improving risk outlook over recent months as participants moved out of safehavens and into riskier, higher-yielding assets. As a pro-cyclical currency, the CAD enjoyed upside alongside other cyclical assets going into what majority of market participants think was an early post-recession recovery phase. As long as expectations for the global economy remains positive the overall positive outlook for risk sentiment should be supportive for the CAD in the med-term, but the recent short-term jitters and risk off flows once again showed us why risk sentiment is also a very important short-term driver for the currency.
4. CFTC Analysis
Latest CFTC data for the CAD (updated until 17 August) showed a positioning change of -3850 with a net non-commercial position of +2660. The CAD’s positioning has seen a substantial unwind in the past few weeks after the CAD got a bit frothy after the April BoC policy meeting where the bank took a substantial hawkish tilt. However, in the past few weeks a lot of the froth has been washed out and with the bias for the CAD still bullish in the med-term, the current positioning means we could see med-term buyers stepping back in gradually. The key risk of course this past week has been the deteriorating risk sentiment as well as the downside we saw in Oil, and until that reverses we want to be extra careful of the CAD in the short-term.
USD
FUNDAMENTAL BIAS: NEUTRAL
1. The global risk outlook
Global economic data continues to surprise lower and should continue to struggle to surprise to the upside after the pandemic rebound. As the USD usually moves inversely to global growth that should be supportive for the USD.
2. The Monetary Policy outlook for the FED
In July the FOMC noted that the economy has made progress toward their goals, and they’ll continue to assess progress in coming meetings. They also took a more sanguine view of the virus situation by removing prior comments that sectors affected by the pandemic ‘remain weak but have shown improvement’ and instead replaced it with ‘sectors most affected by the pandemic have shown improvement but have not fully recovered’. This was initially seen as less dovish, but Powell used his usual dovish tone to correct any ‘hawkish’ takes by stressing that employment still has a ‘ways to go’ and noted that there was still "some ground to cover" when it comes to the labour market. He also reiterated that any decision to announce tapering will be done well in advance. For now, markets are looking at the incoming data to decide whether tapering will be announced at the Jackson Hole Symposium or in the fall. This past week we some interesting comments from Fed’s Waller who tilted their language and stance towards Bullard and Kaplan in expecting that two more solid employment prints (800K-1M) would mean substantial further progress has been met and tapering could then start at a faster pace. This was bullish for the USD, but the more important and market moving comments came from Fed’s Clarida who has seemingly moved into the Neutral camp (previously dovish) by saying he agrees with the median Fed projections of a first hike by early 2023 and more importantly his comments about inflation has moved away from the sanguine view expressed by the doves and is more concerned about current price pressures. This shift saw Dollar upside with all eyes on the Sep NFP to see whether markets will expect Sep or Dec to be the official tapering announcement meeting.
3. Real Yields
Despite recent divergence between the USD and US real yields, we still think further downside in real yields will be a struggle so close to new cycle lows and that probability is skewed higher from here given the outlook for growth, inflation and tapering and should support the USD.
4. Economic Data
Retail sales came in below consensus but given the price action it was clear that majority of participants were looking for a much worse number following the colossal drop in the Univ Mich Sentiment report the week before. However, the USD was also supported by the jittery and risk off flows in the markets and was further aided by the Fed’s minutes which confirmed that the median view of the board has shifted towards earlier tapering. In the week ahead all eyes will be on the Jackson Hole Symposium to see whether the market gets an unofficial tapering announcement nod from Fed Chair Powell which if it happens will open up the possibility of an official announcement at the Sep meeting.
4. CFTC Analysis
Latest CFTC data for the USD (updated until 17 August) showed a positioning change of -115 with a net non-commercial position of +19211. For now, with the fundamental outlook still neutral, and with positioning at current levels the incoming data will remain the key driver for the USD’s short-term volatility, with the Jackson Hole and GDP this week the main events to keep on the radar.