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Forex Slang

Loonie

Forex slang for the Canadian Dollar (CAD) or USD/CAD currency pair.

Definition

Loonie is trader slang for the Canadian Dollar (CAD) and the USD/CAD pair. The nickname comes from the common loon bird depicted on Canada's one-dollar coin. Canada's economy is heavily tied to oil exports.

How It Works

  • "Buying the Loonie" = going long CAD (short USD/CAD)
  • "Selling the Loonie" = going short CAD (long USD/CAD)
  • Note: USD/CAD quote - higher = weaker CAD
  • Strongly correlated with crude oil prices

Trading Tips

1

Watch WTI crude oil for direction

2

Most active during North American session

3

Bank of Canada rate decisions cause volatility

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