Canadian dollar gains as financial market stress subsides

The Canadian dollar CADUSD strengthened against its U.S. counterpart on Monday as worries about the global banking sector showed signs of easing, with the currency extending its recovery from a nine-day low that it hit on Friday.

Equity markets globally and yields on safe-haven U.S. Treasuries rose after First Citizens BancShares helped calm unsettled markets by saying that it would take the deposits and loans of failed Silicon Valley Bank.

Investors have worried that stress in the banking sector could lead to a credit crunch, worsening the economic outlook.

Canada is a major exporter of commodities, including oil, so the loonie tends to be sensitive to the outlook for the global economy.

Oil prices rose on the moves to contain a potential banking crisis that could have hit demand for crude and after a halt to oil exports from Iraqi Kurdistan via Turkey. U.S. crude prices were up 1.8 per cent at $70.53 a barrel.

The Canadian dollar was trading 0.3 per cent higher at 1.3705 to the greenback, or 72.97 U.S. cents after moving in a range of 1.3701 to 1.3745. On Friday, it touched its weakest intraday level since March 15 at 1.3804.

Investors were awaiting the release of Canada’s federal budget on Tuesday and a speech by Bank of Canada Deputy Governor Toni Gravelle on Wednesday.

Money markets are betting that the central bank will shift to cutting interest rates this year after pausing its tightening campaign earlier this month.

Canadian government bond yields were higher across the curve, tracking the move in U.S. Treasuries. The 10-year rose 8.5 basis points to 2.835 per cent.