The Canadian dollar has ticked higher in the Wednesday session. Currently, USD/CAD is trading at 1.2744, down 0.27% on the day. On the release front, it’s a busy day, so we could see some movement from the pair during the North American session. The markets are expecting Core Durable Goods to slow to 0.4%, and unemployment claims to drop to 241 thousand. UoM Consumer Sentiment is forecast to soften to 98.2 points. As well, the Federal Reserve releases the minutes of its November policy meeting. On Thursday, Canada releases Core Retail Sales.
US housing indicators continue to impress the markets. On Monday, it was the turn of Existing Home Sales, which climbed to a 4-month high. On Friday, Building Permits and Housing Starts impressed the markets. Building Permits for single-family homes jumped to 1.30 million, above the estimate of 1.25 million. The annualized pace of 839,000 building permits in October was the fastest since September 2007. Housing Starts also sparkled, accelerating to 1.29 million, compared to an estimate of 1.19 million. The catalyst for the strong numbers were hurricanes Harvey and Irma, which caused massive damage in the southern part of the US. With rebuilding efforts well underway, construction numbers should remain strong in the fourth quarter.
