BS: Canada Dollar Touches Strongest Level in a Week as Stocks Rise
By Chris Fournier
Feb. 10 (Bloomberg) -- Canada’s dollar appreciated to the highest level in almost a week on gains in stocks and crude oil as speculation Germany will help Greece mend its balance sheet heightened appetite for higher-yielding assets.
“Everyone is talking about Greece,” said Christian Dupont, a currency trader in Montreal at Desjardins Group, Canada’s biggest credit union. “The risk thematic is still out there, and that’s driving the show.”
The Canadian currency climbed as much as 0.3 percent to C$1.0627 per U.S. dollar, the highest level since Feb. 4, before trading at C$1.0663 at 8:01 a.m. in Toronto, from C$1.0656 yesterday. One Canadian dollar buys 93.78 U.S. cents.
Dupont expects the currency to trade between C$1.0550 and C$1.08 as traders await the outcome of a European Union summit tomorrow and a statement from Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke later today.
The MSCI World Index, a measure of stocks in 23 developed nations, rose 0.4 percent, after a 0.8 percent gain yesterday.
Bernanke’s prepared testimony on the withdrawal of stimulus measures as the U.S. economy rebounds is scheduled to be released at 10 a.m. He was to testify at a House Financial Services Committee hearing today that has been postponed because of inclement weather.
--Editors: Greg Storey, James Holloway
To contact the reporter on this story: Chris Fournier in Montreal at +1-514-940-6476 or cfournier3@bloomberg.net
To contact the editor responsible for this story: Dave Liedtka at +1-212-617-8988 or dliedtka@bloomberg.net