The USDCAD extended losses for the 3rd day in a row this Friday on USD weakness and stellar Canadian Employment data. The US Dollar was already on the back foot as the markets started to bet on a Joe Biden election victory and subsequent offering of further stimulus post-election.
But the big news for the day is the upbeat numbers posted for the Canadian Employment data. Statistics Canada reports that Canadian Employment Change came in at 378.2K, which was more than the consensus of 150.0K and also more than the 245.8K posted the previous month. The unemployment rate also fell from 10.2% to 9.0%, which was lower than the expected value of 9.8%.
This report has provided further strength to the USDCAD, which has fallen 40 pips in the first 30 minutes of the news release. A shutdown of Gulf Coast oil production and the attendant rise in crude oil prices has given the Loonie a tailwind, helping it to further gains against the greenback.
The pair is now challenging the 1.31501 support. A breakdown of this support area opens the door towards 1.31413, with 1.30385 and 1.29953 looking like potential candidates for support tests in the short-term.
Any recovery in the pair could be an opportunity to sell on rallies. Such recovery may seek for potential upside rejection targets at 1.32044 or 1.33487.