National Bank of Canada says the Canadian dollar has recently been the weakest-performing reserve currency, with USD\/CAD returning to about 1.39, a level last seen at the end of March during the equity sell-off that followed the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. The bank links the move to softer relative real growth and a negative Canada\u2013U.S. 2-year spread, which continues to weigh on the currency even as full-time employment sits at a record high.<\/p>\n
Commodities are also shaping price action. Oil remains relevant for Canada, but the bank argues gold has been the marginal driver in the current set-up; bullion is in a downtrend and is now more than 17% below its recent record high, a dynamic it associates with CAD weakness. Looking ahead, it projects USD\/CAD at 1.35 by year-end, and says any durable CAD recovery would depend on Ottawa securing a trade accord with the US this summer, while geopolitical risks and Canadian firms\u2019 access to the US market remain sources of uncertainty.<\/p>\n
We see the Canadian dollar remaining under pressure in the coming weeks, holding as the weakest reserve currency with USD\/CAD hovering near 1.39. The economic picture supports this, as Canada’s Q1 2026 GDP growth was reported last week at a sluggish 0.5%, a stark contrast to the robust 2.8% growth seen in the United States. This divergence is a key reason we expect the trend to continue.<\/p>\n
The interest rate spread between Canada and the U.S. is a major headwind for the loonie. As of this morning, the yield on the U.S. 2-year bond is a full 65 basis points higher than its Canadian equivalent, making the U.S. dollar more attractive for investors seeking yield. Historically, such a wide negative spread, similar to the period in 2017-2019, has consistently applied downward pressure on the Canadian dollar.<\/p>\n
Gold has also become a more critical driver for the currency than oil in the current market. Bullion is down more than 17% from its recent record high, now trading around $2,450 per ounce and struggling to find support. We believe any further weakness in gold will directly translate into a higher USD\/CAD rate.<\/p>\n
Given this backdrop, we feel that derivative traders should consider positioning for continued Canadian dollar weakness. Buying call options on USD\/CAD for late summer expirations seems like a sensible strategy to profit from a potential move higher, especially with uncertainty around a new U.S. trade accord. A sustained rally for the loonie will likely require a significant breakthrough in those trade negotiations, which we do not see as imminent.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
National Bank says loonie weakest reserve currency; 1.39 USD\/CAD driven by growth, yields, gold slump, trade risks.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":87,"featured_media":52956,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[59],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-52202","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-live-updates"],"acf":{"acf_article_selection_author":null},"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\n\t\t