USD/CAD slumps to 1.2550 area, erases weekly gains

• USD/CAD came under strong bearish pressure in the American session.
• WTI is trading above $70, rising nearly 6% on the day.
• US Dollar Index edges lower as US stocks extend rebound.

After trading in a relatively tight range around 1.2700 during the first half of the day, the USD/CAD pair came under strong bearish pressure and dropped all the way to 1.2523 before going into a consolidation phase. As of writing, the pair was down nearly 1%, or 120 pips, on the day at 1.2555.

WTI reclaims $70 on Wednesday

The sharp rebound witnessed in crude oil prices provided a boost to the CAD during the American trading hours. Although the US Energy Information Administration's (EIA) weekly report showed that crude oil stocks increased by 2.1 million barrels, the barrel of West Texas Intermediate (WTI) preserved its bullish momentum supported by risk flows. At the moment, WTI is up 5.9% on a daily basis at $70.30.

On the other hand, the renewed USD weakness put additional weight on USD/CAD's shoulders. With Wall Street's main indexes opening in the positive territory, the greenback lost its strength and the US Dollar Index (DXY) turned negative on the day. Currently, the DXY is down 0.2% and remains on track to snap a four-day winning streak.

There won't be any high-tier data releases from Canada on Thursday. The US Department of Labor's weekly Initial Jobless Claims report will be featured in the US economic docket. Nevertheless, the risk perception and its impact on crude oil prices are likely to remain the primary driver of USD/CAD's movements in the near term.

Technical levels to watch for