* C$ at C$1.0285 to US$, or 97.23 U.S. cents
* Strengthens to one-month high after strong retail sales
* Bonds prices lower across curve
By Solarina Ho
TORONTO, July 23 (Reuters) - The Canadian dollar hit a
one-month high against a broadly weaker U.S. currency on Tuesday
after stronger-than-expected domestic retail sales data from May
fed expectations of extended economic growth.
Higher auto sales helped drive Canadian retail sales 1.9
percent higher in May from April, the biggest monthly jump in
more than three years and far greater than the 0.4 percent
growth predicted by analysts.
"Retail sales this morning was obviously an outside surprise
there. Good details behind the number as well, so that gave the
Canadian dollar a push up," said Shaun Osborne, chief currency
strategist at TD Securities.
A number of economists speculate that the data could signal
higher-than-expected economic growth data for the second
quarter. Canada's economy grew at a 2.5 percent annual rate in
the first quarter.
"We did see the currency getting a lift off the back of what
seemed to be a fairly stunning set of sales numbers ... it was a
pretty significant across-the-board improvement," said Jeremy
Stretch, head of foreign exchange strategy for CIBC World
Markets in London.
The Canadian dollar finished its North American
session at C$1.0285 to the greenback, or 97.23 U.S. cents,
stronger than Monday's North American session close at C$1.0344,
or 96.67 U.S. cents.
It firmed to as much as C$1.0277, or 97.30 U.S. cents,
during the session to touch its strongest level since June 20.
Osborne said stop-loss orders - which are placed earlier to
sell when a currency reaches a certain price - were triggered
when the currency pushed below C$1.03 in USD/CAD terms.
"It's still a case of people reducing risk and cutting
positions, and I think that may be the case until next week when
we get the next (U.S.) payroll numbers," said Osborne, who also
noted the quiet summertime trading, reduction in flows and
weaker U.S. dollar.
Canadian government debt was mostly lower in price across
the maturity curve, with the two-year bond down 5.5
Canadian cents to yield 1.118 percent and the benchmark 10-year
bond shedding 35.2 Canadian cents to yield 2.401
percent.