USD/CAD HOVERS AROUND 1.3560 WITH A NEGATIVE BIAS AMID HIGHER CRUDE PRICES

• USD/CAD could lose ground on stronger Crude prices on Wednesday.
• WTI price gains support due to concerns over a shortage of supply.
• US Dollar faces challenges after Fed officials made dovish comments.

USD/CAD seems to move in the negative direction for the second consecutive session, edging lower to near 1.3560 during the Asian session on Wednesday. The strength of the Crude oil prices contributes support for the Canadian Dollar (CAD), consequently, undermining the USD/CAD pair.

Western Texas Intermediate (WTI) oil price hovers around $84.80, near Wednesday's highest since October 2023. The increase in WTI price is supported by the weakening US Dollar and concerns over supply due to geopolitical uncertainties.

Moreover, the weaker US Dollar Index (DXY) applies downward pressure on the USD/CAD pair. DXY faces challenges after Federal Reserve (Fed) officials made dovish comments. Cleveland Fed President Loretta Mester expressed expectations of rate cuts later this year, while San Francisco Fed President Mary Daly deemed three rate cuts in 2024 "reasonable," pending further convincing evidence.

On Tuesday, US February JOLTS Job Openings rose to 8.756 million from the previous figure of 8.748 million, surpassing market expectations. Additionally, Factory Orders increased by 1.4% month-on-month in February from a 3.8% decline in the prior reading.

Market participants are anticipated to closely monitor Canadian Import and Export data on Thursday, along with labor data scheduled for release on Friday. In the United States (US), attention will be on the ADP Employment Change and ISM Services PMI data on Wednesday. Additionally, Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell is set to deliver a speech on the US economic outlook at the Stanford Business, Government, and Society Forum in Stanford