(Adds dealer comment, updates prices to close)
* Canadian dollar settles at 74.12 U.S. cents or C$1.3491 per USD
* Bond prices lower across the yield curve
By Alastair Sharp
TORONTO, Nov 24 (Reuters) - The Canadian dollar ended little changed against its U.S. counterpart in subdued trade on Thursday as the greenback trimmed some recent gains against a basket of major currencies and oil edged higher.
A modest pullback for the U.S. dollar .DXY came amid thinner volumes, with U.S. markets closed for the Thanksgiving holiday.
"With London closing midway through the North American session that leaves only essentially Canadian banks staffed, and markets have behaved accordingly," said Brad Schruder, director of corporate sales and structuring at BMO Capital Markets in Toronto.
The currency's strongest level of the session was C$1.3477, while its weakest was C$1.3535.
Oil prices steadied ahead of next week's meeting of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) to discuss implementation of its proposed cap on production. O/R
Schruder said an OPEC deal could give a short-term boost to the currency of Canada, a major oil exporter, but it would be unlikely to last.
"The reality is that U.S. companies have the technology now to really quickly adjust production, and as prices rise they're going to react accordingly," he said.
Brent crude futures LCOc1 settled up 5 cents at $49.00 a barrel. U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude CLc1 was last up 2 cents at $47.98. O/R
The Canadian dollar CAD=D4 settled at C$1.3491 to the greenback, or 74.12 U.S. cents, barely stronger than Wednesday's close of C$1.3496, or 74.10 U.S. cents.
The loonie last week touched its weakest in eight months at C$1.3589.
BMO's Schruder said he expects further loonie depreciation against the greenback in the next three to six months as the U.S. Federal Reserve appears set to hike interest rates while the Bank of Canada stands pat.
The number of non-farm payroll jobs was up 65,200 in September, following a decline of 12,600 in August, Statistics Canada said.
Canadian government bond prices were lower across the yield curve, with the two-year CA2YT=RR down 4 Canadian cents to yield 0.686 percent and the benchmark 10-year CA10YT=RR fell 45 Canadian cents to yield 1.588 percent.
On Wednesday, the 10-year yield touched its highest intraday since December at 1.614 percent.
Bond yields have been rising since the U.S. election as investors bet that President-elect Donald Trump will pursue policies that boost inflation.