Canadian dollar recovers from 10-day low after record jobs gain
By Fergal Smith
TORONTO (Reuters) - The Canadian dollar was little changed against its U.S. counterpart on Friday, recovering from an earlier 10-day low as higher oil and stock prices, as well as domestic data showing a record jobs gain offset worries about global trade prospects.
Canada's economy added 952,900 jobs in June, mostly in the service sector, as firms reopened following closures triggered by COVID-19, data from Statistics Canada showed. Economists had expected an increase of 700,000.
U.S. stocks rose as a positive update from Gilead Sciences Inc's <GILD.O> antiviral drug to treat COVID-19 countered nerves over a record rise in coronavirus cases in the United States.
The price of oil, one of Canada's major exports, rose after the International Energy Agency (IEA) bumped up its 2020 demand forecast.
U.S. crude oil futures <CLc1> settled 2.4% higher at $40.55 a barrel, while the loonie <CAD=> was trading nearly unchanged at 1.3590 to the greenback, or 73.58 U.S. cents. It touched its weakest intraday level since June 30 at 1.3631.
U.S. President Donald Trump said he is not currently thinking about negotiating a "Phase 2" trade deal with China.
The news knocked commodity currencies, such as the loonie, lower but was unlikely to have a lasting impact because investors were already skeptical that a "Phase 2" deal would be reached, said Bipan Rai, North America head, FX strategy at CIBC Capital Markets.
For the week, the loonie declined 0.3%.
Canada's 30-year yield <CA30YT=RR> eased 2.5 basis points further below the yield on 30-year U.S. Treasury bonds to a spread of 25.9 basis points as the Bank of Canada announced an increase in the amount of 30-year bonds it would purchase in its quantitative easing program to C$600 mln.
On Wednesday, the 30-year yield spiked after Ottawa said it would be "significantly increasing" issuance of long-term bonds.
(Reporting by Fergal Smith; Editing by Nick Zieminski and Marguerita Choy)
