BLBG:Canadian Currency Weakens as Slowdown Concern Saps Equities, Commodities
Canada’s dollar fell the most in more than a week as stocks plunged on concern the global economy is slowing, damping demand for higher-yielding assets.
The currency extended its monthly loss versus the greenback before consumer-price index data tomorrow forecast to show Canada’s annual rate of inflation slowed. The yield on the Canadian 10-year note slid to a record low 2.254 percent. Bank of Canada Governor Mark Carney and Finance Minister Jim Flaherty are scheduled to brief lawmakers tomorrow on the economy.
“We have a big day in Canada tomorrow with CPI and Carney speaking,” said Camilla Sutton, head of currency strategy at Bank of Nova Scotia, by phone from Toronto. “Canada will end up as a mid-performer today as the market anticipates what happens tomorrow.”
The Canadian currency fell against 10 of its 16 most-traded counterparts, weakening 1 percent to 99.05 cents per U.S. dollar at 5 p.m. in Toronto, compared with 98.07 cents yesterday. It was headed for a 3.6 percent loss in August, the most since June 2009. One Canadian dollar purchases $1.0096.
Government bonds rallied, with 10-year yields dropping as much as 13 basis points, or 0.13 percentage point, to the lowest level since the beginning of Bloomberg records in 1989. The price of the 3.25 percent securities maturing in June 2021 gained 80 cents on the dollar to C$108.30.
The Standard & Poor’s 500 Index dropped 4.5 percent. The S&P/TSX Composite Index decreased 3.1 percent. Crude oil for September delivery plunged as much as 7.3 percent to $81.15 a barrel in New York trading. Copper and wheat also fell, and gold futures advanced to a record.
‘Ongoing Uncertainty’
“The catalyst is coming from ongoing uncertainty in global markets,” said Jack Spitz, managing director of foreign exchange at National Bank of Canada, by phone from Toronto. “Equities are lower, as the yen and the U.S. dollar are higher. The Canadian dollar is following the flow.”
Canadian consumer prices rose 2.8 percent in July from a year earlier after a 3.1 percent gain in the previous month, according to the median forecast of 23 economists in a Bloomberg News survey. Statistics Canada releases the report at 7 a.m. tomorrow in Ottawa.
“Canada will be looked at tomorrow in light of CPI, and Carney testifying before parliament,” Spitz said. “The fact that futures markets have priced in rate cuts rather than hikes will be scrutinized.”
Biggest Trade Partner
First-time jobless claims in the U.S. climbed in the week ended Aug. 13 to 408,000, the highest level in a month, Labor Department figures showed. Consumer prices excluding food and fuel costs increased 0.2 percent in July, the slowest pace since April, the Labor Department also reported. The U.S. is Canada’s biggest trading partner.
In the U.S., Federal Reserve Bank of New York President William C. Dudley said the central bank always keeps an eye on the performance of U.S. and foreign banks, not monitoring one group more than the other. The Fed is “always scrutinizing” domestic and foreign banks in terms of capital levels, Dudley, 58, said in response to audience questions after a speech today in Newark, New Jersey.
The Wall Street Journal earlier reported the New York Fed was stepping up scrutiny of U.S. operations of Europe’s largest banks on concern the euro-region debt crisis may lead to funding problems. The newspaper cited people it didn’t identify.
To contact the reporter on this story: Chris Fournier in Halifax, Nova Scotia, at cfournier3@bloomberg.net
To contact the editor responsible for this story: Dave Liedtka at dliedtka@bloomberg.net