background image

NY Open: Why the Bank of Canada fears the trade war

Forex 4 minutes to read

Summary:  Bank of Canada governor Stephen Poloz is out warning that an escalation of the US/China trade war would create a burst in inflation that central banks would find difficult to contain.


The US dollar opened in New York with losses across the G10 major currency spectrum except against the Canadian dollar. Expectations that the Federal Open Market Committee will execute a “dovish” hike on Wednesday gave the major currencies a boost at the expense of the greenback. That wasn’t the case for the Canadian dollar. USDCAD is bid. Free-falling oil prices and a nervous Bank of Canada underpinned prices.

BoC governor Stephen Poloz warned in a Globe and Mail interview that an escalation of the US/China trade war such as an increase in tariffs to 25% would create a burst in inflation that central banks would find difficult to contain. Closer to home, the BoC is still concerned about the impact of low oil prices on the Canadian economy. WTI oil broke below $50/barrel yesterday, touched $47.87/b in Europe and is trading at $48.58/b. USDCAD hovered around 1.3400 in early trading but climbed to 1.3427 when Canada October Manufacturing Shipments were -0.3% m/m. (Forecast 0.4%)

The greenback managed to claw back some of its overnight losses in New York trading helped by a better than expected housing report. November Housing Starts rose 3.2% compared to October's revised negative 1.6%.

Wall Street bounced at the open recovering around half of yesterday’s drop in a few minutes. The question is “will it last?” December has seen many days when opening gains became closing losses. Today’s Wall Street Journal editorial urges the Fed to take a prudent pause in raising rates.

President Trump agreed and tweeted “I hope the people over at the Fed will read today’s Wall Street Journal Editorial before they make yet another mistake. Also, don’t let the market become any more illiquid than it already is. Stop with the 50 B’s. Feel the market, don’t just go by meaningless numbers. Good luck!”

Traders may be buying stocks in hopes that the Fed heeds the Trump and WSJ suggestions.
USDCAD
USDCAD (30-minute, source: Saxo Bank)

This content is marketing material. 

None of the information provided on this website constitutes an offer, solicitation, or endorsement to buy or sell any financial instrument, nor is it financial, investment, or trading advice. Saxo Bank A/S and its entities within the Saxo Bank Group provide execution-only services, with all trades and investments based on self-directed decisions. Analysis, research, and educational content is for informational purposes only and should not be considered advice or a recommendation.

Saxo’s content may reflect the personal views of the author, which are subject to change without notice. Mentions of specific financial products are for illustrative purposes only and may serve to clarify financial literacy topics. Content classified as investment research is marketing material and does not meet legal requirements for independent research.

Saxo partners with companies that provide compensation for promotional activities conducted on its platform. Some partners also pay retrocessions contingent on clients investing in products from those partners.

While Saxo receives compensation from these partnerships, all educational and research content remains focused on providing information to clients.

Before making any investment decisions, you should assess your own financial situation, needs, and objectives, and consider seeking independent professional advice. Saxo does not guarantee the accuracy or completeness of any information provided and assumes no liability for any errors, omissions, losses, or damages resulting from the use of this information.

Please refer to our full disclaimer and notification on non-independent investment research for more details.

Saxo Bank A/S (Headquarters)
Philip Heymans Alle 15
2900 Hellerup
Denmark

Contact Saxo

International
International

All trading and investing comes with risk, including but not limited to the potential to lose your entire invested amount.

Saxo is part of the J. Safra Sarasin Group.

Information on our international website (as selected from the globe drop-down) can be accessed worldwide and relates to Saxo Bank A/S as the parent company of the Saxo Bank Group. Any mention of the Saxo Bank Group refers to the overall organisation, including subsidiaries and branches under Saxo Bank A/S. Client agreements are made with the relevant Saxo entity based on your country of residence and are governed by the applicable laws of that entity's jurisdiction.

Apple and the Apple logo are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the US and other countries. App Store is a service mark of Apple Inc. Google Play and the Google Play logo are trademarks of Google LLC.