* Canadian dollar at C$1.2777, or 78.27 U.S. cents
* Bond prices higher across the yield curve
* Bank of Canada maintains neutral tone on future rate moves (Updates figures and Poloz speech, adds FX strategist comments)
By Solarina Ho
TORONTO, Nov 7 (Reuters) - The Canadian dollar weakened against its broadly firmer U.S. counterpart on Tuesday, and remained range-bound as Bank of Canada Governor Stephen Poloz maintained a neutral tone on interest rate moves in a speech and news conference.
At 4:00 p.m. ET (2000 GMT), the Canadian dollar CAD=D4 was trading at C$1.2777 to the greenback, or 78.27 U.S. cents, down 0.6 percent.
The currency traded in a range of C$1.2703 to C$1.2820.
Speaking in Montreal, Poloz defended the use of inflation targets and repeated the bank's message that it was monitoring wage growth and inflation, as well as economic capacity to see how the economy was adjusting to the July and September rate hikes. do think that on net, it may actually suggest that the hurdle for a move in policy in the near-term is somewhat of a high bar," said Mazen Issa, senior FX strategist at TD Securities in New York.
"At the same time, I'm still somewhat encouraged that the data is evolving rather constructively."
The Bank of Canada is expected to hold rates steady in December following the two hikes. But data last Friday showing unexpected strength in the nation's job market has supported expectations of increases next year. BOCWATCH
The U.S. dollar .DXY strengthened against a basket of major currencies as investors' spotlight was on the diverging monetary policies between the United States and the euro zone. of oil, one of Canada's major exports, cooled after rallying the most in six weeks the previous day, some 3 percent, as the Saudi crown prince tightened his grip on power, and tensions flared between Saudi Arabia and Iran. Mexican and Canadian officials will kick off some of the next round of talks to rework the North American Free Trade Agreement slightly ahead of schedule on Nov. 15, four officials familiar with the process said on Monday. sends about 75 percent of its exports to the United States and its economy could suffer if NAFTA collapses.
Canadian government bond prices were higher across the yield curve, with the two-year CA2YT=RR up 4 Canadian cents to yield 1.399 percent and the 10-year CA10YT=RR rising 28 Canadian cents to yield 1.893 percent, the lowest since Sept. 1.
The Canadian government issued $3 billion of a U.S. dollar-denominated five-year global bond at a spread of 9 basis points over U.S. Treasuries, the first issue by Canada of a U.S. dollar global bond since March 2015.