The Canadian dollar has posted slight gains in Tuesday trade. Early in the North American session, USD/CAD is trading at 1.3186, down 0.23% on the day.

US consumer confidence slides

The US consumer held on tighter to the purse strings in July. The Conference Board Consumer Confidence indicator fell for a second straight month, falling to 84.8. This was down from 91.7 a month earlier and missed the estimate of 93.0. There was some positive news as well. The Richmond Manufacturing Index accelerated for a fifth successive month, rising from 10 to 18. In the construction sector, New Home Sales soared to 901 thousand, up sharply from 776 thousand beforehand.

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In Canada, Corporate Profits declined by 8.0% in Q2, a definite improvement from the plunge of -38.4% in the first quarter. The Canadian economy has been showing signs of recovery, such as an improving labor market. Investors will be keeping a close eye on Canada’s GDP, which will be released on Friday. GDP is expected in at 5.2% in June, after a gain of 4.5% in the May release.

USD/CAD Technical

  • 1.3258 is the next resistance line. It was tested last week. This is followed by resistance at 1.3299
  • 1.3155 is the first support line. The next support is 1.3093, which has held since January
  • The 10-day MA line is putting downward pressure on the pair. If USD/CAD breaks below this line, it is a bearish sign for the pair