USD/CAD at a Turning PointTechnical Analysis: Signs of a Bottoming Out
USD/CAD’s technical picture is beginning to shift from bearish to cautiously bullish. Let’s start with what the daily chart is telling us. Over April, the pair’s decline started to stall around the 1.3780 – 1.3810 zone, which corresponds to a second support level (S2) on pivot point charts. In fact, 1.3780 has been identified by analysts as a “critical support”areaeconomies.com, and the market has thus far respected this floor. For roughly two weeks, prices have been consolidating in a tight range just above this support, roughly between 1.378 and 1.388. This kind of sideways basing after a drop indicates that selling pressure is no longer as aggressive – the CAD hasn’t been able to push the USD convincingly below the support line around 1.38.
Several momentum indicators are aligning to suggest that the worst of the downtrend may be over:
MACD Crossover: The Moving Average Convergence Divergence (MACD) indicator, a favorite tool for gauging trend changes, is on the verge of a bullish crossover (i.e. the MACD line is crossing above the signal line). As of late April, daily MACD had already flipped to a “Buy” readingfortrade.com. A bullish crossover after a prolonged down-move implies the downward momentum is fading and buyers are starting to gain the upper hand. We’re also seeing the MACD histogram (which visualizes the difference between the MACD and its signal) tick up from deeply negative values toward the zero line, reinforcing the idea of a momentum reversal.
RSI Rising from Oversold: The Relative Strength Index (RSI), which measures the speed and change of price movements, dipped into oversold territory during the April sell-off. (Typically, an RSI reading below 30 is considered oversold and a possible sign of an overextended move.) In late April, USD/CAD’s daily RSI was hovering in the low 30sfxstreet.com. Now, in early May, the RSI has climbed upward, moving through the 40s and toward the mid-50s. This upward turn suggests that the prior bearish momentum is abating – in other words, sellers are running out of steam and buyers are gradually stepping in. Notably, the RSI made higher lows even as price made a lower low around 1.378, a classic bullish divergence hinting that the downtrend was losing strength.
Support and Price Action: Price action itself underscores the potential for a bottom. The 1.3800 area (pivot S2)has been tested multiple times and remains intactfxstreet.com. Each dip into the high-1.37s was met with buying interest, as evidenced by candles with lower wicks and quick recoveries back above 1.38. This demand zonearound 1.378–1.381 has effectively absorbed selling pressure. One trader on TradingView noted that “USD/CAD is bouncing off a major daily support level around 1.38100 after a strong bearish move. Price action shows early signs of bullish interest, with the potential for a correction toward the 50-day Simple Moving Average.”tradingview.com. The fact that the pair is holding this support is crucial – it provides a clear line in the sand. As long as 1.3780 holds, the bullish thesis remains alive. A break below that would be a warning sign, but so far the floor has held firm.
Ichimoku Cloud and A Shift in Trend: The daily Ichimoku cloud on the chart (the colored cloud area representing support/resistance and trend) is still positioned above current prices – a legacy of the prior downtrend. However, the pair’s consolidation means it is no longer plunging deeper below the cloud; instead, it’s inching closer to the cloud’s base. Often, when a trend is about to reverse, we see price start testing the underside of the Ichimoku cloud or the baseline (Kijun-sen). While USD/CAD hasn’t broken out above the cloud yet, it’s noteworthy that the cloud ahead is thinning and flattening. A thinner cloud can be easier to break, and a flat Kijun line (baseline) around the 1.40–1.41 area could act like a magnet for price if bullish momentum kicks in. In short, the Ichimoku system is saying the trend is still technically bearish, but conditions are improving for a potential bullish breakif buyers can push the price into the cloud.
Another technical element worth mentioning is the moving averages. During the decline, USD/CAD stayed below short-term moving averages, which acted as resistance. Now we see price testing those moving averages from below. For instance, the 10-day exponential MA and 20-day MA lurk around 1.3870–1.3900 – right where the current consolidation top is. A break above 1.39 would not only clear this minor consolidation range but also put the price back above those moving averages, a bullish sign. Beyond there, the 50-day SMA (around the mid-1.41s) could be an initial target for a rebound. All in all, the technical setup is showing early glimmers of a reversal: a solid support base, momentum indicators flipping positive, and weakening bearish forces. This lays a technical foundation for the argument to go long USD/CAD.
Why This Could Be an Opportunity to Go Long USD/CAD
Bringing together the technical signals and the macro context, the case for a USD/CAD rebound is getting stronger. Here’s a quick recap of why early May 2025 may be an attractive entry point for USD/CAD longs (buying USD against CAD):
Rock-Solid Support: The pair has a concrete floor around 1.3780–1.3800 that has held firmly through multiple tests. This pivot support (S2) level has proven its strengthfxstreet.com, indicating significant buying interest at those lows. A strong support means downside risk can be well-defined (for example, one can place a stop-loss just below it in a trade scenario), and it often serves as a launchpad for rebounds when the broader trend shifts.
Momentum Shift to Bullish: Key momentum indicators are flipping in favor of USD momentum. The MACD on the daily chart has turned upward, signaling waning bearish momentum and a possible bullish crossover – a classic early reversal sign. Likewise, the RSI has risen out of oversold territoryfxstreet.com, showing that the prior selling momentum is exhausted. In fact, a short-term trading model as of Apr 29 showed multiple daily indicators (MACD, RSI, Stochastics) all giving “Buy” signals for USD/CADfortrade.com. When formerly pessimistic indicators start signaling “buy” in unison, it’s often a telltale sign of a trend ready to change direction.
Bullish Price Action Clues: Price is speaking volumes: higher lows are forming on intraday charts and the pair is making attempts to push higher within the recent range. We’ve observed bullish candlestick patterns like small daily dojis and hammers near the lows, reflecting indecision and failed attempts by sellers to break lower. This kind of consolidation after a drop often indicates that the next significant move could be up, especially given the momentum backdrop. Additionally, if USD/CAD breaks above the 1.3900 resistance (which is the upper bound of the consolidation and near the 10-day/20-day moving averagesfxstreet.com), it would mark the first higher-high in weeks – essentially confirming the short-term trend reversal.
USD Fundamentals Support a Rise: The U.S. dollar’s broader fundamentals are relatively robust. The Fed’s higher-for-longer stance (with only modest rate cuts expected later) keeps USD interest rates attractiveam.jpmorgan.com, and the U.S. economy has been outperforming many peers in growth, which has underpinned the USD’s strengtham.jpmorgan.com. This means any USD weakness narrative might have been overdone – if traders realize the Fed won’t ease as much as hoped, USD could get a second wind. A stable or rising USD on the global stage directly benefits a long USD/CAD position.
Canadian Headwinds (Oil & Risk): The Canadian dollar, in contrast, faces a few headwinds. Commodity support is lacking – with oil prices recently in the doldrums at 4-year lows around $58investingnews.com, a key pillar of CAD strength has crumbled. Unless oil stages a dramatic comeback (which is not expected immediately, given only a moderate rebound to ~$68–$74 forecasted by the EIAinvestingnews.com), the CAD could struggle to maintain its recent strength. On top of that, if global risk appetite wavers, traders could rotate out of risk-sensitive currencies like CAD into safer havens. In short, the CAD may have enjoyed a good run, but the tables appear set to turn in favor of the USD.
Attractive Risk/Reward Setup: From a trading perspective, going long USD/CAD near current levels offers a compelling risk-to-reward scenario. The support at ~1.3780 provides a logical and tight risk cutoff – if the pair falls decisively below that, one can admit the bullish thesis was premature and exit. On the upside, even a retracement to mid-range resistance levels like 1.4000–1.4100 (around the 50-day MA or pivot resistance) would yield a solid gain relative to the risk. The trader who shared the long idea on USD/CAD set a target around 1.4140, just shy of major resistance, highlighting the potential for a move of several hundred pips off the lows if the reversal takes holdtradingview.com. The combination of well-defined support, improving indicators, and room overhead for a bounce means the odds are tilted that a long position could be rewarded.
Of course, no trade or investment is guaranteed – and one must always stay vigilant. If USD/CAD were to close below ~1.3780 support, it would call into question the bullish setup and could open the door to further downside (perhaps another leg down to the mid-1.37 or even low 1.36 area in a bearish scenario). But as things stand, the evidence leans bullish, and the reward potential outweighs the remaining downside risk, in our view.
