Preliminary S&P Global PMI data for April indicates that Australian manufacturing activity has successfully returned to expansionary territory, ascending to 51.0 from the previous month’s 49.8. Simultaneously, the Services PMI exhibited a notable recovery, rising to 50.3 from the 46.3 print recorded in March. However, despite these headline improvements, the broader outlook for business activity remains clouded by tepid domestic demand and escalating operational costs.
Supplementing this narrative, RBA Deputy Governor Andrew Hauser issued a cautionary outlook, signaling that the coming months may prove exceptionally intricate for the Australian economy. Hauser highlighted a challenging nexus of energy-driven shocks—stemming from Middle Eastern volatility—and persistent inflationary pressures. He noted that the domestic economy is currently struggling to absorb these exogenous shocks, largely due to entrenched supply-side constraints. This complex dynamic significantly heightens the risk of a burgeoning stagflationary environment, where stagnant growth meets rising price pressures.
This deteriorating sentiment was further corroborated by April’s consumer data, as the Westpac Consumer Confidence index recorded a sharp 12.5% collapse. This reflects heightened household anxieties regarding soaring energy costs and broader global economic uncertainty. Looking ahead, investors are pivoting their focus toward high-impact catalysts: the upcoming Australian employment report and China’s GDP figures, both of which will be instrumental in determining the RBA’s subsequent policy trajectory.
Across the Pacific, Canadian inflation witnessed a sharp and notable acceleration in March, primarily catalyzed by surging energy expenditures. Official data from Statistics Canada revealed that the Consumer Price Index (CPI) ascended by 0.9% month-over-month, a significant leap from February’s 0.5%, though it remained marginally beneath the 1.1% market consensus. On an annualized basis, headline CPI surged to 2.4% from its previous 1.8% print.
The Bank of Canada’s (BoC) preferred underlying metrics presented a more nuanced and mixed narrative for March. While the monthly core CPI moderated to 0.2%, the annual core rate climbed to 2.5%. This inflationary backdrop reinforces expectations that the BoC will maintain a high degree of institutional caution during its upcoming policy deliberations at the end of the month. However, RBC Economics observed that the deceleration in core price growth provides the central bank with essential flexibility to navigate a fragile economic environment, characterized by an stubbornly elevated unemployment rate.

Technical Analysis
From a technical perspective, AUD/CAD remains entrenched in a robust and extending bullish trend, continuing to exhibit strong upward characteristics. Price action recently retreated to the primary support floor at 0.9751, a zone that currently carries significant technical weight.
This area exhibits high confluence, as it aligns perfectly with the primary ascending trendline and the 100-period Moving Average (MA) situated at 0.9743. These indicators are expected to function as a formidable dynamic support cluster. Provided this zone is not decisively breached on a daily closing basis, we anticipate a resurgent bullish impulse. In such a scenario, the primary upside objective is targeted at the 0.9880 handle, which represents the next major horizontal resistance zone.
Our analysis of momentum oscillators provides further validation for a bullish pivot. The Relative Strength Index (RSI) recently descended to the 38 level, moving rapidly toward oversold territory. This aggressive reset suggests that bearish conviction is dissipating quickly, leaving room for buyers to reclaim control.
Simultaneously, the MACD is printing a nascent bullish histogram transition. While the signal lines are currently oscillating just beneath the neutral threshold, a gain in histogram depth would likely catalyze a bullish crossover. Such a move would provide the final technical confirmation required to solidify the outlook for a sustained expansion toward the 0.9880 target.
Trading Recommendations
Trading direction: Buy
Entry price: 0.9771
Target price: 0.9880
Stop loss: 0.9690
Validity: May 06, 2026 15:00:00