Talking Points
- USD Looking to Fed-Speak for Guidance Amid Fed Policy Speculation
- CAD Down Before Jobs Data in Otherwise Quiet Overnight Trade
The economic calendar is quiet in European trading hours, leaving traders wait for the day’s helping of official Fed commentary to offer direction cues. Richmond Fed President Jeffrey Lacker – a member of the rate-setting FOMC committee – is due to cross the wires.
The US Dollar has made a bid to renew its long-term uptrend after the release of minutes from the March Fed policy meeting earlier this week reignited the possibility of a mid-year interest rate cut. Mr Lacker is a relatively neutral voice on the FOMC. If his remarks hint at the serious probability of “liftoff” at the June/July policy meetings, the greenback may extend yesterday’s advance.
The Canadian Dollar underperformed in overnight trade, falling as much as 0.2 percent on average against its leading counterparts. The move may reflect pre-positioning ahead of the upcoming release of March Unemployment figures.
Expectations suggest the jobless rate will rise to 6.9 percent, the highest in six months, which may inspire the Bank of Canada to deliver additional monetary stimulus. Indeed, the Loonie’s decline since mid-2014 tracked a parallel slide in front-end bond yields, pointing to a dovish shift in policy bets as the catalyst.
