USD/CAD down to lowest in 10-weeks as NYMEX crude tops $60 per barrel

Key Movers

The US Dollar is once again lower. Last week its index against a basket of major currencies fell from 93.50 to 92.85 and it has now fallen every day since Christmas. After a very brief opening rally on Tuesday, the index fell to a 3-week low of 92.73. On Wednesday in Europe it traded down to 92.51; the lowest level since December 1st and yesterday in New York it hit 92.24; the weakest since September 25th. After the briefest of rallies overnight in Asia, it fell further to 91.95 during the London morning.

With just one trading session left in 2017, the USD index against a basket of major currencies is on track to lose just almost 9%; the first annual decline since 2012. Its high for the year was way back on January 3rd when EUR/USD hit a low of 1.0341. Since that point, the euro is now up more than 13%, its biggest advance since 2003, and is the largest G-10 gainer against the US currency this year.

Today, of all days, brings the potential for some big price swings; the end of the month, the quarter and the calendar year when global portfolio hedges are rebalanced to account for relative performance changes. To some extent the high correlation of assets across geographies should reduce the need for portfolio rebalancing but with a long weekend ahead, this may be the time for clients to lock-in their FX needs if the levels are attractive.

The US Dollar index opens in North America this morning at a 14-week low of 91.95. The 2017 low was 91.00 on September 5th…


The EUR finished equal top of the FX pile with the CAD on Thursday; rising almost three-quarters of a cent from Wednesday’s New York close to reach a high of USD1.1958; matching the best level it touched on November 27th. Overnight it eased very slightly to 1.1938 before rallying back to a high of 1.1988.
The euro is the best performing major currency in 2017. In early January as worries grew about upcoming elections in the Netherlands, Austria and France and the rise of populist anti-EU parties, there were concerns about a true existential crisis for the currency. EUR/USD hit a low point for 2017 of just 1.0341. With the resounding victory for Emmanuel Macron in the French Presidential Elections, it seemed, instead, that the Franco-German axis at the centre of EU politics for two generations would be strengthened and reinforced. The euro has subsequently shrugged off a poor election outcome for German Chancellor Angela Merkel and the dissolution of the Italian Parliament ahead of elections to be held in early March 2018. The economic recovery has gained traction across the whole of the EU and though inflation has not yet followed, it surely will if recent increases in energy prices are sustained.
For today, the EUR opens in North America this morning at USD1.1988 and CAD1.5025.


The GBP had a day of two halves on Wednesday in the Northern Hemisphere. In London trading, the pound moved sharply higher once stops were hit around last Friday’s intra-day high of 1.3390. GBP/USD reached a best level of 1.3425 before giving back almost all the gains in the North American time zone. Overnight, as the US Dollar hit a fresh 3-month low, GBP/USD reached a best level of 1.3454, though the pound is otherwise mixed: up against the AUD, unchanged against EUR and CAD and lower versus the NZD.
The latest figures on UK housing market activity released this morning were pretty depressed. British banks approved the fewest mortgages in 15 months in November, when the Bank of England raised interest rates for the first time in more than a decade. Banks approved 39,507 mortgages for house purchase last month, down from 40,417 in October and 5% fewer than in November 2016, trade association UK Finance said..
More comprehensive lending figures from the Bank of England are due next Thursday and despite the Chancellor’s attempts to boost the number of first-time property buyers, it is very unlikely there will be any significant pick-up, if at all, until later in the Spring..
The pound opens in North America this Thursday morning at USD1.3435, EUR1.1265 and CAD1.6940.


The Aussie Dollar has enjoyed a really good festive season. December 26th saw AUD/USD hit a high of 0.7730 - its best level in 2 months. On Wednesday during the New York morning, the pair extended its gains to a near 10-week high of 0.7777 and yesterday it touched 0.7807; the highest since October 24th. Having subsequently sold off a quarter of a cent, this morning in London it is back on a US 78 cents handle with a high so far of 0.7822.
The AUD is still viewed as a commodity currency, even when it doesn’t produce some of the commodities which are going up in price! For sure, gold is up 4.1% since December 11th and iron ore is up 22% in exactly two months. Copper is up just over 12% in less than 3 weeks, aluminium is up 13% in just under a fortnight whilst zinc is up 7% since December 7th. When commodities all rise strongly together, so too does a “commodity currency”.
There is a very wide spread of views as to what 2018 holds in store for the Australian Dollar. Morgan Stanley, for instance, sees AUD/USD at 0.67 by the end of next year whilst BoA Merril Lynch has 0.77 and UniCredit goes for 0.82. We’d note that in an environment of generally low asset market volatility and strongly rising commodity prices, the extra yield available in Australia looks very attractive. Experience also teaches us that it looks very attractive until it doesn’t and that reversals can be swift and sudden. No asset class is more fickle and subject to the whims of fashion than foreign exchange. As the old saying goes, “it never looks more bullish than at the top of the market”.
The AUD opens in North America this morning at USD0.7820 with AUD/NZD at 1.0980 and AUD/CAD0.9800.


The New Zealand Dollar is still keeping up with the strength in its Aussie cousin with the AUD/NZD cross in a 1.0970-1.1000 range since Friday last week. NZD/USD reached a best level of 0.7040 on Tuesday, by yesterday it had extended gains to 0.7097; the strongest in 10 weeks and overnight it has just reached a US 71 cents big figure for the first time since October 18th.

Whilst the gains in the Australian Dollar are largely linked to commodity prices, this most certainly is not what has been driving the New Zealand Dollar higher recently. Instead it is a combination of factors: a global investor base which was running short or underweight positions in the currency after the uncertainties of the September election, the announcement of a new but highly experienced Governor at the RBNZ and the extra yield available on New Zealand’s money and bond markets which looks attractive in an environment of generally low asset market volatility.

We’d note the short position appears now to have been unwound, the change of personnel at the RBNZ is no longer news and the yield advantage in NZ is pretty slim by historic standards. This doesn’t of itself signal the top for the Kiwi Dollar as momentum is itself a powerful force in foreign exchange markets. After a very strong run recently, however, clients with foreign exchange business to transact would be well-advised to think whether now is the time to lock-in their FX requirements.

The Kiwi Dollar opens in North America this morning at USD0.7120 with NZD/CAD at 0.8925.