* Canadian dollar at C$1.2995, or 76.95 U.S. cents
* Bond prices higher across the maturity curve
TORONTO, July 27 (Reuters) - The Canadian dollar firmed
against its U.S. counterpart on Monday as the greenback softened
broadly and markets awaited the outcome from the U.S. Federal
Reserve's policy meeting this week.
The U.S. dollar's retreat, which followed Friday's sharp
drop in U.S. stocks and treasury yields, helped offset the
impact of cheaper oil, a major Canadian export. Crude prices
fell to four-month lows, after Chinese stocks plunged more than
8 percent in their biggest one-day drop in eight years.
ID:nL3N1072VY MKTS/GLOB
Markets were awaiting the Fed's latest interest rate
decision, with many expecting the central bank to lay the
groundwork for an increase later this year, possibly as early as
September. A hike would stand in marked contrast to the Bank of
Canada's 25 basis point rate cut earlier this month, the second
one this year.
* At 9:24 a.m. EDT (1324 GMT), the Canadian dollar CAD=D4
was trading at C$1.2995 to the greenback, or 76.95 U.S. cents,
stronger than the Bank of Canada's official close of C$1.3035,
or 76.72 U.S. cents, on Friday.
* The loonie, which had plunged to its weakest level since
2004 last week, was trading between C$1.2980 and C$1.305 on
Monday.
* There is little major economic data in Canada on tap this
week until Friday's gross domestic product figures for May.
ECONCA
* China's stock rout, which sent commodity prices lower,
followed weaker-than-expected Chinese economic data last week
and indicated an unprecedented government rescue effort to prop
up valuations had run out of steam.
* U.S. crude CLc1 prices were down 1.35 percent to $47.49,
while Brent crude LCOc1 lost 1.90 percent to $53.58. O/R
* The Canadian dollar is expected to trade between C$1.3010
and C$1.3100 against the U.S. dollar during Monday's North
American session, according to National Bank Financial.
* Canadian government bond prices were higher across the
maturity curve, with the two-year CA2YT=RR price up 3 Canadian
cents to yield 0.417 percent and the benchmark 10-year
CA10YT=RR rising 38 Canadian cents to yield 1.447 percent.
* Canada-U.S. spreads narrowed, with the two-year bond at
-24.1 basis points and the 10-year at -77.1 basis points.