Advertisement
Canada markets closed

  • S&P/TSX

    21,873.72
    -138.00 (-0.63%)
     

  • S&P 500

    5,071.63
    +1.08 (+0.02%)
     

  • DOW

    38,460.92
    -42.77 (-0.11%)
     

  • CAD/USD

    0.7296
    -0.0001 (-0.02%)
     

  • CRUDE OIL

    82.79
    -0.02 (-0.02%)
     

  • Bitcoin CAD

    87,505.31
    -3,210.54 (-3.54%)
     

  • CMC Crypto 200

    1,384.26
    -39.84 (-2.80%)
     

  • GOLD FUTURES

    2,329.50
    -8.90 (-0.38%)
     

  • RUSSELL 2000

    1,995.43
    -7.22 (-0.36%)
     

  • 10-Yr Bond

    4.6520
    +0.0540 (+1.17%)
     

  • NASDAQ futures

    17,469.50
    -195.00 (-1.10%)
     

  • VOLATILITY

    15.97
    +0.28 (+1.78%)
     

  • FTSE

    8,040.38
    -4.43 (-0.06%)
     

  • NIKKEI 225

    38,460.08
    +907.92 (+2.42%)
     

  • CAD/EUR

    0.6818
    -0.0001 (-0.01%)
     

Canadian dollar notches three-month high as investors bet on global recovery

Fergal Smith
Updated ·2 min read
Illustration photo of U.S. and Canada Dollar notes

By Fergal Smith

TORONTO (Reuters) - The Canadian dollar strengthened to a near three-month high against its U.S. counterpart on Tuesday as investors bet on global economic recovery and ahead of an interest rate decision by the Bank of Canada on Wednesday.

The loonie <CAD=> was trading 0.4% higher at 1.3517 to the greenback, or 73.98 U.S. cents. The currency touched its strongest intraday level since March 9 at 1.3483.

Gains for the loonie show that "markets are looking toward a brighter future," said Michael Goshko, corporate risk manager at Western Union Business Solutions.

Canada runs a current account deficit and is a major producer of commodities, including oil, so its economy could particularly benefit from a pickup in the global flow of trade and capital.

ADVERTISEMENT

U.S. crude oil futures <CLc1> settled 3.9% higher at $36.81 a barrel on hopes that major crude producers will agree to extend output cuts and as countries and U.S. states begin to reopen after coronavirus lockdowns.

The recovery effort bolstered world stocks <.WORLD>, winning out over U.S.-China tensions and the worst civil unrest in the United States in decades.

"As equities continue to surge higher, the U.S. dollar continues to decline against most currencies, unwinding the safe haven trade," Goshko said.

The U.S. dollar <.DXY> extended its decline since March against a basket of major currencies, while Canada's 10-year <CA10YT=RR> was up nearly 1 basis point at 0.542%.

Economists say that Canada's economy likely bottomed out in April when non-essential businesses across the country were closed to help contain the coronavirus pandemic. Attention has been turning to how fast the economy can recover and the potential level of fiscal and monetary policy support.

The Bank of Canada is expected to hold interest rates at a record low of 0.25% on Wednesday, when Tiff Macklem will begin his seven-year term as governor of the central bank.

(Reporting by Fergal Smith; editing by Jonathan Oatis and Cynthia Osterman)