The Canadian dollar drifted higher versus the US currency, and bond prices were also up, their moves unruffled by Friday morning's lone economic report. At 9:40 am, the Canadian dollar was at C$1.1558 to the US dollar, or 86.52 US cents, up from C$1.1598 to the US dollar, or 86.22 US cents, at Thursday's close.
The US current account deficit narrowed in the third quarter to $195.8 billion as government transfers declined, but the second-quarter gap was revised up to $197.8 billion from the $195.7 billion originally reported. The third quarter shortfall was smaller than Wall Street forecasts for a deficit of $204.8 billion.
"The better-than-expected US current account deficit didn't really make a significant ripple in the currency markets," said Doug Porter, deputy chief economist at BMO Nesbitt Burns. "The bigger issue for investors is whether we have seen the end of the US dollar rally or not." That will certainly be related to the outlook of US interest rates. Lately, the Japanese yen has been a very strong performer among the major currencies as traders unwound interest-rate driven bets after this week's US Federal Reserve's statement convinced some that rates are nearing a peak. But this effect appeared to be ebbing on Friday.
Despite a whirlwind week - including declining natural gas and crude prices, a tweaked Fed statement, and Japanese yen surge - the Canadian dollar is now almost unchanged on the week.
"Outside of the yuan revaluation in July, arguably this was the biggest week of stories in currency markets the whole year, what with the yen moving about 4 percent in a week and the Canadian dollar hitting its 14-year high," said Porter.
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