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The USD/CAD climbs on market sentiment deterioration, as investors seeking safety bolstered the US Dollar. US Retail Sales were lower than expected, but prices paid by producers cooled.
The pair rallies on safe-haven flows towards the American dollar sponsored by the US financial banking crisis woes threatening to spread around the globe. The failure of two banks in the United States (US) spurred a sell-off in Credit Suisse’s (CS) stock, amongst increasing fears of a financial crisis. Therefore, the USD/CAD is trading at 1.3774 after hitting a low of 1.3659.
Investors’ mood remains deteriorated, as shown by global equities treading water. Wall Street continues to trade with losses amidst a possible default by Credit Suisse, as more banks take less exposure to the latter. The CBOE Volatility Index (VIX), known as the fear index, shot up and reached the 30.00 level, portraying the sour sentiment in the financial markets.
On the economic data front, Retail Sales retreated 0.4% MoM vs. estimates of 0.3% contraction. Even though it’s a negative print, January’s 3.2% jump and February’s data still show that Americans are spending at a slower pace. At the same time, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics revealed that prices paid by producers in February, also known as the Producer Price Index (PPI), dropped 0.1% MoM, beneath forecasts of 0.3% expansion. Core PPI was 0%, below estimates for a 0.4% increase, showing signs that prices are heading downwards amidst the Fed’s aggressive tightening cycle of 20220.
