USD\/CAD traded slightly higher near 1.3780 in the European session on Wednesday. It rose after hitting a three-week low near 1.3730 on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
The move came as markets reacted to reports about a possible permanent US-Iran ceasefire. US President Donald Trump said the war with Iran was \u201cvery close to over\u201d in an interview with Fox News.<\/p>\n
US Vice President JD Vance said talks were taking place through channels including Pakistan. He also said the current ceasefire held for a seventh consecutive day.<\/p>\n
Market conditions stayed risk-on, with S&P 500 futures holding Tuesday\u2019s gains near 6,970. The US Dollar Index was 0.1% higher near 98.20, after reaching a six-week low of 97.97 on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
Attention is on a second round of US-Iran talks, with no confirmed date. Reuters reported it may happen before the two-week ceasefire expires on 21 April.<\/p>\n
In the US, traders no longer expect the Federal Reserve to raise interest rates this year.<\/p>\n
Looking back at this time in 2025, we saw how hopes of a US-Iran ceasefire weakened the US dollar and pushed USD\/CAD toward the 1.3730 level. That period was defined by a strong risk-on mood, which typically hurts the safe-haven dollar and helps commodity currencies like the loonie. This serves as a critical reminder of how quickly geopolitical de-escalation can shift currency market dynamics.<\/p>\n
Today, on April 15, 2026, the situation feels different, with USD\/CAD trading higher around 1.3850 despite WTI crude oil prices holding firm above $95 per barrel. While the major conflict of 2025 is behind us, recent reports from the International Atomic Energy Agency show Iran’s uranium enrichment has ticked up, causing market anxiety to slowly return. The CBOE Volatility Index (VIX), a key measure of market fear, has crept up to 19.5, well above the calmer levels of 14 we saw this time last year.<\/p>\n
Given this context, implied volatility on USD\/CAD options seems relatively cheap, particularly for contracts expiring in the next 60 days. We believe traders should consider buying volatility through strategies like straddles. This allows us to profit from a large price swing in either direction, whether from a sudden diplomatic breakthrough or an unexpected escalation.<\/p>\n
Furthermore, a key divergence is emerging between the Bank of Canada (BoC) and the Federal Reserve. With Canadian inflation data last week coming in hotter than expected at 3.1%, the BoC is signaling a more aggressive stance than the Fed, which is concerned about slowing US growth. This policy difference, which was not a factor in 2025, suggests a fundamental tailwind for the Canadian dollar.<\/p>\n
Therefore, a tactical play would be to purchase out-of-the-money USD\/CAD put options with June 2026 expiry dates. We remember how the pair dropped nearly 50 pips in a single session on ceasefire news in 2025. A similar positive surprise could trigger an even sharper downside move now that underlying monetary policy favors a stronger loonie.<\/p>\n
Create your live VT Markets account<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0start trading<\/a>\u00a0now. <\/b><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" USD\/CAD edged up near 1.3780 as risk-on mood followed reports of potential permanent US-Iran ceasefire.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":103,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[59],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-47693","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","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