Skip to main content

John Cowie/Getty Images/iStockphoto

The Canadian dollar closed lower Monday after a surprise announcement that Bank of Canada Governor Mark Carney is leaving the central bank's top job next year to take over the top job at the Bank of England.

The loonie fell 0.19 of a cent to $1.0062 (U.S.) on the realization that Mr. Carney's departure doesn't change the near-term outlook for interest rates.

During an appearance before the Commons Finance Committee Oct. 31, Mr. Carney suggested that interest rates will rise before the end of 2014. The benchmark rate has been at 1 per cent for a little over two years.

"Overall, the market reaction thus far to Carney's surprise announcement has been fairly muted, but this could change over time, of course, depending on who is eventually elected to governor," observed Capital Economics Canada economist David Madani.

"Whoever this turns out to be, though, they will face new and big challenges, namely a struggling global economy and a potentially severe housing market correction."

Mr. Carney will continue to be at the helm of the Canadian central bank until June 1, 2013.

The dollar had started the session lower amid a weak showing in commodity prices while traders looked for euro zone officials to come to a deal on getting the next instalment of bailout money to Greece.

Meanwhile, euro zone finance ministers met in Brussels Monday for a third time in recent weeks to get a deal together to release some €44-billion ($57-billion) for Greece, which has been surviving on bailouts since 2010.

The euro zone ministers, Greece's international creditors and the International Monetary Fund have been unable to reach an agreement.

Greece is unlikely to complete its program of budget cuts and reforms by 2014 and is likely to be given an additional two years to reach that goal.

But that extension will cost several billion euros more and the next instalment is being held up by disagreements over how to fund this.

Commodity prices were mixed with January crude on the New York Mercantile Exchange down 48 cents to $87.80 a barrel.

The December copper contract on the Nymex was unchanged at $3.54 a pound.

December bullion was down $2.10 to $1,749.30 an ounce.

On the economic front, the major event of the week is the September reading on gross domestic product. Statistics Canada is expected to report on Friday that the economy grew by 0.1 per cent during the month. Such a reading would translate into the economy growing by 0.9 per cent at an annual rate during the third quarter.

Report an editorial error

Report a technical issue

Tickers mentioned in this story

Study and track financial data on any traded entity: click to open the full quote page. Data updated as of 28/03/24 5:32am EDT.

SymbolName% changeLast
CADUSD-FX
Canadian Dollar/U.S. Dollar
-0.32%0.7347

Interact with The Globe