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A Malaysian government spokesperson said that the oil and gas company has confirmed that energy supplies are sufficient in May and June, but some fuel shortages are expected afterward.On April 29th, the World Gold Council released its Q1 2026 "Global Gold Demand Trends Report," showing that global physical gold ETFs maintained net inflows in Q1, with global holdings increasing by 62 tons. Asian investors bought a significant 84 tons, while holdings in European and American markets saw a slight decline – net outflows from Western markets in March reversed the strong inflow momentum at the beginning of the year. Affected by high gold prices, global gold jewelry demand declined by 23% year-on-year to 300 tons. Demand for gold jewelry generally cooled in major global markets. However, in terms of spending, gold jewelry demand bucked the trend, indicating that even with historically high gold prices, consumers willingness to buy gold jewelry remains robust.On April 29th, the World Gold Council released its Q1 2026 "Global Gold Demand Trends Report," showing that global gold demand (including OTC transactions) reached 1,231 tons in the first quarter, a 2% year-on-year increase. While the increase in gold volume was moderate, the total value of demand surged to a record $193 billion, a significant 74% year-on-year increase. Strong gold prices and rising safe-haven demand drove a 42% year-on-year increase in global gold bar and coin investment, reaching 474 tons, continuing to drive structural changes in the global gold demand landscape. Chinas demand for gold bars and coins surged 67% year-on-year to 207 tons, a new quarterly high. Demand for gold bars and coins also increased in other Asian markets such as India, South Korea, and Japan. Demand for gold bars and coins in the US and European markets also saw strong growth, increasing by 14% and 50% year-on-year, respectively.On April 29th, RBC Capital Markets stated that it expects the Bank of Canada to keep interest rates unchanged for the fourth consecutive time, with policymakers closely monitoring the impact of rising energy prices on inflation. Overall CPI in April is likely to exceed the 1% to 3% target range for the first time since December 2023. However, interest rate policy cannot influence global oil prices, and its impact on the economy is lagged, meaning the central bank needs to base monetary policy on future inflation levels rather than current inflation. The Bank of Canada is expected to proceed cautiously as long as inflation expectations and broader inflationary pressures (excluding rising energy prices) remain under control. The Bank of Canadas Business Outlook Survey showed a rise in inflation expectations, but signs of further slowing in the March "core" indicators should allow the central bank to maintain policy flexibility in assessing new data and its recent forecasts. First-quarter GDP growth was broadly in line with the January forecast, and recent data suggests a modest recovery in economic momentum. The labor market also shows signs of stabilization, but the unemployment rate remains low, insufficient to indicate that underlying inflationary pressures are intensifying, meaning there is limited urgency for further policy adjustments in the near term.UK Housing Minister Reed: We are not considering rent control.

USD/CAD declines to 1.3500 on firmer Oil prices, BoC concerns over US inflation, and Fed Minutes

Daniel Rogers

Apr 10, 2023 14:35

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The USD/CAD maintains losses close to 1.3500, shattering a four-day winning trend, as traders brace for key Easter Monday data/events on major bourses. However, the recent decline in the Loonie-U.S. dollar exchange rate may be due to the increase in the price of WTI petroleum oil, Canada's primary export. In contrast to the recent increase in ardent Fed forecasts, the Bank of Canada's (BoC) dovish bias poses a challenge to pair sellers.

 

After increasing for three consecutive weeks, WTI crude oil prices gain 0.61 percent intraday near $80.00. Recent increases in the price of black gold may be due to geopolitical concerns surrounding China and Taiwan. In addition to the supply cut by OPEC+ and the faltering US dollar, the energy benchmark is sustained by the supply cut by OPEC+ and the weakening US dollar.

 

However, the US Dollar Index (DXY) has fallen for three consecutive weeks and is under pressure near 102,000.

 

Fears of higher Fed rates versus inaction from the Bank of Canada (BoC) grew after the upbeat US Jobs report versus the lack of significant positives in the March Canadian jobs report.

 

As a result, the CME's FedWatch Tool indicates a 69% chance of a 0.25 basis point rate hike in May, up from 55% prior to the US employment report.

 

Canada's headline Net Change in Employment increased to 34.7K in March from 21.8K in February, compared to the market consensus of 12K, while the Unemployment Rate came in at 5% versus the analysts' estimate of 5.0%. During the specified month, the Participation Rate decreased to 65.6% from the expected and previous rate of 65.7%. In addition, the average hourly wage fell 5.2% year-over-year in March, down from 5.5% in February.

 

In contrast, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported that Nonfarm Payrolls (NFP) increased by 236K in March, the lowest increase since January 2021 (considering revisions), compared to the expected 240K and the previous 330,000. Additionally, the unemployment rate fell from 3.6% to 3.5%, while the labor force participation rate rose from 62.6% to 62.6%. The annual wage inflation rate decreased from 4.6% to 4.2%, below market expectations of 4.3%.

 

Futures on US equities ended higher, but yields remain under pressure ahead of the crucial BoC monetary policy meeting, US inflation, and Fed Minutes. Given the dovish concerns from the Bank of Canada (BoC) and the likely hawkish comments in the FOMC Minutes, the USD/CAD may see additional gains, barring any unexpected developments.