CANADA FX DEBT - Canadian dollar strengthens, benchmark yield climbs

TradingKey - On April 17, catalyzed by the announcement of a US-Iran ceasefire, the temporary reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, and substantive progress in the US crypto asset regulatory framework, Bitcoin hit an intraday high of $78,384. This successfully broke through the descending resistance line that had capped every rally since October 2025. Bitcoin has now rebounded approximately 21% from its March low of $62,500.

TradingKey - On April 17, Eastern Time, Iranian Foreign Minister Araghchi announced that the Strait of Hormuz would be "open to all commercial vessels during the Lebanon-Israel ceasefire." International oil prices plunged more than 10% in a single day, with WTI crude oil futures dropping to $84/barrel and Brent crude falling to $90/barrel.

TradingKey - Intel (INTC) will report its Q1 results after the market close on April 23 (ET). As of mid-April, the consensus analyst estimate for Q1 revenue is approximately $12.32 billion, a year-over-year decline of about 2.75%, with earnings per share (EPS) projected at roughly $0.01.

TradingKey - Gold prices have recently maintained high-level volatility amid fluctuating US-Iran tensions. While sustained high oil prices have significantly raised US inflation expectations, thereby lowering the probability of Federal Reserve interest rate cuts, the continuous accumulation of gold by global central banks still supports the long-term bullish thesis for the metal.

TradingKey - On April 14, *The Information* disclosed a set of unpublished financial data: Starlink's satellite internet business revenue grew 50% year-over-year in 2025 to $11.4 billion, with EBITDA reaching $7.2 billion and an adjusted margin as high as 63%. Starlink is now the only profitable business segment under SpaceX, accounting for 61% of the company's total sales. In contrast, the xAI artificial intelligence business continues to "burn cash," and revenue growth in the rocket launch business has slowed.