TORONTO (Reuters) - The Canadian dollar rose against its broadly weaker U.S. counterpart on Tuesday as the prospect of U.S. economic stimulus bolstered oil prices and domestic data showed an unexpected jump in housing starts.
Canadian housing starts rose 15.8% to 245,604 units in July, data from the national housing agency showed, as the market continued to bounce back from the COVID-19 crisis. Economists had expected starts to dip to 210,000.
U.S. crude (CLc1) prices were up 2.1% at $42.8 a barrel, supported by stimulus hopes as well as a rebound in Asian demand as economies reopen. Oil is one of Canada's major exports.
The U.S. dollar (DXY) lost ground against a basket of major currencies as data showing investor sentiment in Germany improved more than expected in August boosted the euro (EUR=).
The Canadian dollar
The future of Canadian Finance Minister Bill Morneau appeared uncertain on Tuesday after a newspaper said he had clashed with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau over how much Ottawa was spending to tackle the coronavirus outbreak.
Ottawa is rolling out more than C$300 billion of economic support, about 15% of gross domestic product, in response to the coronavirus crisis, while the Bank of Canada's balance sheet as a share of GDP has expanded this year by more than some major counterparts, including the U.S. Federal Reserve.
Canadian government bond yields were higher across a steeper curve in sympathy with U.S. Treasuries as stocks rallied globally. The 10-year (CA10YT=RR) was up 5.6 basis points at 0.551%.