(Updates prices to close)
* Canadian dollar ends at C$1.3177, or 75.89 U.S. cents
* Loonie touches its strongest since Dec. 14 at C$1.3119
* Bond prices mixed across the yield curve
By Fergal Smith
TORONTO, Jan 11 (Reuters) - The Canadian dollar strengthened to a four-week high against its U.S. counterpart on Wednesday as oil rallied and the greenback fell against a basket of major currencies following a news conference by U.S. President-elect Donald Trump.
The Canadian dollar CAD=D4 settled at C$1.3177 to the greenback, or 75.89 U.S. cents, stronger than Tuesday's close of C$1.3227, or 75.60 U.S. cents.
"It's potentially a watershed day for the Canadian dollar because it has broken below the trendline since May ... and that may signal big things for the Canadian dollar ahead," said Adam Button, currency analyst at ForexLive.
"To start the year there has been an incredible battle in Canadian dollar trading between oil, which has been declining, and Canadian economic news which has been sparkling. And with oil bouncing back today it has cleared the way for an extended Canadian dollar rally," Button said.
Domestic economic data released since the beginning of the year has shown a surge in jobs in December and the first trade surplus in more than two years in November while a Bank of Canada survey pointed to improving business conditions. loonie's weakest level of the session was C$1.3295, while it touched its strongest since Dec. 14 at C$1.3119.
Prices of oil, one of Canada's major exports, rose by the most in over a month, helped by news that Saudi Arabia had cut exports to Asia and a weaker U.S. dollar .DXY following Trump's news conference. O/R
Trump denounced unsubstantiated claims he had been caught in a compromising position during an earlier visit to Russia and attacked U.S. intelligence agencies over the leak of the information. also "didn't hint at any measures to stimulate near-term growth and that's a disappointment," Button said.
Canadian government bond prices were mixed across the yield curve, with the two-year CA2YT=RR price down half a Canadian cent to yield 0.755 percent and the 10-year CA10YT=RR rising 4 Canadian cents to yield 1.677 percent.