Retail sales fall 1.8% in December, improving on the expected 2.1% decline

The Canadian retail sales fell 1.8% in December after growing 0.7% in November. The result, despite being negative, improves market expectations, since the consensus expected a decrease of 2.1%. This is the first fall in three months and the most pronounced in seven months.

Excluding vehicles, retail sales fell 2.5%, worsening the estimated 2% decline. In November, the indicator grew by 1.1%. This is the largest decline on record since April 2021.

USD/CAD reaction

The USD/CAD it has hardly reacted to the data. At the European open on Friday, the pair fell to 1.2673, a two-day low, but just before the retail sales release it regained ground and rose to a daily high of 1.2709. At time of writing, the US dollar is trading against the Canadian above 1.2707, gaining 0.02% on the day.

Source: Fx Street

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