Canadian dollar pares weekly gain after tepid job growth

Kitco Media
By Reuters
Published:
Updated:
Reuters
Canadian dollar pares weekly gain after tepid job growth teaser image

TORONTO, April 10 (Reuters) - The ​Canadian dollar weakened against its U.S. counterpart on Friday as investors ‌weighed subdued domestic jobs data and awaited peace talks between the United States and Iran, but the currency held on to much of its weekly gain.

Canada's economy added 14,100 jobs in March, roughly ​matching expectations, after shedding 83,900 in the prior month, while the unemployment ​rate held steady at 6.7%.

"Lackluster domestic growth momentum at the start of ⁠the year plus trade uncertainty continue to hamper the CAD," Shaun Osborne and ​Eric Theoret, strategists at Scotiabank, said in a note.

"But we do expect growth to ​pick up and trade headwinds to fade late this year, which supports our call for some CAD gains in the medium term."

The United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, which has shielded much of Canada's exports ​from U.S. tariffs, is set for review by a July 1 deadline.

Investors were pricing ​in 33 basis points of tightening this year from the Bank of Canada, little changed from ‌before ⁠the data.

The Canadian dollar was trading 0.1% lower at 1.3834 per U.S. dollar, or 72.29 U.S. cents, after moving in a range of 1.3800 to 1.3840.

For the week, the currency was up 0.8%, as a ceasefire deal in the Middle East reduced ​safe-haven demand for the ​greenback. It was ⁠the biggest weekly gain for the loonie since January.

Iran said that blocked Iranian assets must be released and that a ceasefire ​must take hold in Lebanon before peace talks can proceed, ​throwing last-minute ⁠doubt over negotiations scheduled for Saturday in Pakistan.

The price of oil, one of Canada's major exports, rose 0.9% to $98.75 a barrel on concerns over Saudi Arabia supply disruptions and limited ⁠flows through ​the Strait of Hormuz, but was still on ​track for its biggest weekly fall since June.

Canadian bond yields were mixed across a steeper curve, with the ​10-year up 2.2 basis points at 3.474%.

Reporting by Fergal Smith; Editing by Kirsten Donovan

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and may not reflect those of Kitco Metals Inc. The author has made every effort to ensure accuracy of information provided; however, neither Kitco Metals Inc. nor the author can guarantee such accuracy. This article is strictly for informational purposes only. It is not a solicitation to make any exchange in commodities, securities or other financial instruments. Kitco Metals Inc. and the author of this article do not accept culpability for losses and/ or damages arising from the use of this publication.