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CANADA FX DEBT-C$ retreats from 6-week high ahead of BoC rate decision

Published 2017-12-05, 04:40 p/m
© Reuters.  CANADA FX DEBT-C$ retreats from 6-week high ahead of BoC rate decision
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* Canadian dollar at C$1.2698, or 78.75 U.S. cents

* Loonie touches its strongest since Oct. 24 at C$1.2624

* Canada's trade deficit narrows to C$1.47 billion in October

* Canadian bond prices rise across a flatter yield curve

By Fergal Smith

TORONTO, Dec 5 (Reuters) - The Canadian dollar pulled back from a six-week high against its broadly firmer U.S. counterpart on Tuesday, as investors weighed a rebound in the country's exports before turning attention to a Bank of Canada interest rate decision on Wednesday.

At 4 p.m. ET (2100 GMT), the Canadian dollar CAD=D4 was trading at C$1.2698 to the greenback, or 78.75 U.S. cents, down 0.2 percent. It touched its strongest intraday since Oct. 24 at C$1.2624.

"We are moving into event risk such as the Bank of Canada interest rate decision tomorrow," said Jeff Scott, senior currency strategist at OFX. "Maybe people don't want to be holding onto (Canadian) dollars."

Canada's trade deficit narrowed to C$1.47 billion in October from a revised C$3.36 billion in September as exports increased after four consecutive monthly declines. Economists had forecast a deficit of C$2.70 billion. report, combined with last week's stellar employment report, will be looked favorably upon by the data dependent Bank of Canada," said Dina Ignjatovic, an economist at TD Bank in a research note.

Economists expect the Bank of Canada to leave its benchmark interest rate on hold at 1 percent on Wednesday due to a number of uncertainties that could affect the domestic economy, including renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement.

The central bank raised rates in July and September for the first time in seven years.

The loonie dipped despite a rise in the price of oil, one of Canada's major exports.

U.S. crude CLc1 futures settled 0.3 percent higher at $57.62 a barrel, supported by strong demand, expectations of a drop in U.S. crude inventories and an OPEC-led deal to extend oil output cuts. U.S. dollar .DXY rose against a basket of major currencies for a second straight session, benefiting from optimism surrounding U.S. tax reform. government bond prices were higher across the yield curve, with the two-year CA2YT=RR up 2 Canadian cents to yield 1.539 percent and the 10-year CA10YT=RR rising 22 Canadian cents to yield 1.898 percent.

The gap between the 2 and 10-year yields narrowed by 1.5 basis points to a spread of 35.9 basis points, its narrowest since January 2008, tracking a flatter U.S. yield curve.

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