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September PCE (personal consumption expenditures index, the Fed's key inflation gauge) accelerated to 3.6% year-on-year, while the US economy grew 3.4% in the third quarter - stronger than forecast. Buyers picked up the dollar, and the loonie gave up ground.
The decision was made by a vote of 10 to 2: Governor Lisa Cook and Cleveland Fed President Beth Hammack insisted on an immediate 0.25 percentage point increase. Six weeks earlier, the committee had made the same decision unanimously.
On October 28 at 16:45 MSK, the Bank of Canada raised its key rate from 2.25% to 2.5% - exactly what the market expected. The main surprise was not the move itself, but the signal: the regulator allowed that another hike may be needed.
The Bank of Canada announces its rate decision midday, the Fed in the evening. USD/CAD is rising for a second day and has already bounced from 1.3970-1.3965, the low since September 16, climbing above 1.4000 - a new weekly high.
On Friday, the USD/CAD pair fell below the psychological level of 1.4000 and traded around 1.3975 - a one-month low. This is the seventh consecutive losing session for the US dollar against the Canadian dollar, and the second week of decline in a row.
XAU/USD touched a fresh weekly low: on Tuesday gold closed at $4,122 (-0.43%), and in the Asian session on Wednesday it traded around $4,115 (-0.2%). This is the fourth consecutive day of decline, all because the market expects the Fed to raise rates rather than cut them.
In September, Canada lost 68.3 thousand jobs, while employment growth was expected at 7 thousand. Unemployment rose to 6.5%, and USD/CAD climbed to 1.4276 amid a sharp drop in Canadian bond yields.
