BREAKING: CAD jumps after beat in retail sales data

Canadian retail sales report for January was released today at 12:30 pm GMT. Report was expected to show decline in headline as well as core retail sales measures, following solid increases in December. Actual report turned out to be a positive surprise. Headline retail sales dropped less than expected, while sales excluding autos unexpectedly increased 0.5% MoM.

Canada, retail sales for January

• Headline: -0.3% MoM vs -0.4% MoM expected (+0.9% MoM previously)
• Ex-autos: 0.5% MoM vs -0.5% MoM expected (+0.6% MoM previously)

CAD gained following the decision, with USDCAD pair dropping. Taking a look at USDCAD chart at 30-minute interval, we can see that the pair attempted to break above 1.3580 resistance zone earlier today, but buyers failed to sustain bullish momentum. A key near-term support to watch in case declines deepen can be found in the 1.3550 area.

Source: xStation5