(Adds portfolio manager quotes and updates prices)
* Canadian dollar ends at C$1.3351, or 74.90 U.S. cents
* Bond prices mixed across the yield curve
By Fergal Smith
TORONTO, March 23 (Reuters) - The Canadian dollar weakened on Thursday against the greenback with a fall in oil prices, but losses were muted a day after the Canadian budget as investors grappled with an uncertain outlook for the policies of U.S. President Donald Trump.
The Canadian dollar CAD=D4 ended at C$1.3351 to the greenback, or 74.90 U.S. cents, weaker than Wednesday's close of C$1.3327, or 75.04 U.S. cents.
"Traders are looking for further direction from either the oil market or from the equity market and risk appetite as Trump and the Republicans try to pass their healthcare bill," said Scott Smith, chief market strategist, associate portfolio manager at Viewpoint Investment Partners.
The U.S. House of Representatives canceled Thursday's vote on healthcare legislation. Losing the vote would bruise investors' confidence in Trump's ability to deliver on his promises of tax cuts and infrastructure spending. of oil, one of Canada's major exports, struggled to recover from four-month lows because of investor concerns that supply cuts led by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries were not yet reducing record U.S. crude inventories. crude CLc1 prices settled 34 cents lower at $47.70 a barrel.
On Wednesday, Canada's Liberal government unveiled a stay-the-course budget that targeted export growth and some measure of tax reform but did little to whittle away at deficits, even as it backed off from an explicit pledge to improve the debt outlook. have seen stability (in the currency) because there weren't any real big changes when it comes to fiscal stimulus or tax increases, so it's kind of steady as it goes," Smith said.
The currency traded in a range of C$1.3317 to C$1.3357.
Canadian government bond prices were mixed across the yield curve, with the two-year CA2YT=RR flat to yield 0.775 percent and the 10-year CA10YT=RR falling 5 Canadian cents to yield 1.688 percent.
On Wednesday, the 10-year yield touched a three-week intraday low at 1.651 percent.
Canada's inflation report for February is due on Friday. ECONCA