Canadian dollar likely to weaken near-term
Canada's technical recession, though mild, reinforces near-term bearishness for the Canadian dollar versus the US dollar. Weaker growth increases pressure on the Bank of Canada to cut rates, narrowing Canada's rate advantage relative to the US. Lower growth also reduces demand for Canadian exports and commodities, especially oil, to which the Canadian dollar is highly sensitive. The combination of weaker domestic growth and potential monetary easing points to a softer currency.