What Is the USD/CAD Doing Today
USD/CAD is the most oil-sensitive currency pair in the major lineup. Canada is the fourth-largest oil producer in the world and oil is its biggest export by value. When WTI crude rises, more US dollars flow into Canada per barrel, the trade surplus widens, and CAD strengthens (USD/CAD falls). The relationship is so strong that USD/CAD often tracks the inverse of WTI tick-for-tick during oil-driven sessions.
Beyond oil, USD/CAD is driven by the rate gap between the Bank of Canada and the Fed. The BoC was the first major central bank to cut rates in the 2024 cycle and has historically led the Fed in both directions. When the BoC cuts and the Fed holds, USD/CAD tends to rise. When the Fed cuts and the BoC holds, USD/CAD tends to fall.
USD/CAD Pair Profile
- Typical spread: 0.6–1.5 pips at most retail brokers
- Best trading hours: 1pm–5pm London for US/Canadian data, the London-NY overlap is the highest-volume window
- Volatility profile: Moderate — typically 50–80 pips daily range, can spike to 150+ pips on BoC days or oil shocks
- Pip value (per 1.0 lot): ~$7.50 per pip on a standard 1.0 lot (varies with USD/CAD level)
- Correlated pairs: WTI Crude Oil (negative ~0.7), DXY (positive ~0.6), AUD/USD (negative ~0.5)
What Moves the USD/CAD
USD/CAD reacts to USD news, CAD news, and oil prices. All three matter:
US Dollar (USD) side
- Fed (FOMC) rate decisions and Powell press conferences
- NFP non-farm payrolls (first Friday of the month)
- US CPI inflation print (around the 12th of each month)
- PCE — the Fed's preferred inflation gauge
- US Treasury yields, particularly the 2-year and 10-year
Canadian Dollar (CAD) side
- Bank of Canada rate decisions and Governor Macklem's pressers
- Canadian CPI inflation and core measures
- WTI crude oil price (oil is Canada's biggest export — strong oil = strong CAD)
- Canadian employment report (released same day as US NFP)
- US economic data (US is Canada's biggest trading partner)