* Canadian dollar at C$1.1330 or 88.26 U.S. cents
* Bond prices flat to higher across maturity curve
By Alastair Sharp
TORONTO, Nov 13 (Reuters) - The Canadian dollar was slightly
weaker against its U.S. counterpart on Thursday, as traders sold
on any sign of strength in the Canadian unit, with a weak oil
price blunting enthusiasm for the resource-linked currency.
The loonie, as Canada's currency is colloquially known, has
settled into a tighter range in recent sessions after a sharp
weakening last week.
"The oscillation between C$1.13 and C$1.14 since the payroll
numbers has really been in play...there were no legs to take
dollar/Canada below C$1.1280," said Jack Spitz, managing
director of foreign exchange at National Bank Financial.
Spitz said "the directional bias by most traders is to buy
the dips" mostly on the softness in the price of oil, a major
Canadian export.
The Canadian dollar was last seen trading at
C$1.1330 to the greenback, or 88.26 U.S. cents, weaker than
Wednesday's close of C$1.1316, or 88.37 U.S. cents.
Legislation to approve the controversial Keystone XL oil
pipeline began racing through the U.S. Congress on Wednesday,
eventual approval of which would likely boost the loonie.
"Any positive changes with respect to improving the
efficiency of oil flow from Canada to the U.S. are likely to be
seen as a positive for the Canadian dollar," Spitz said.
Canadian government bond prices were flat to slightly higher
across the maturity curve, with the two-year
unchanged to yield 1.1015 percent and the benchmark 10-year
up 4 Canadian cents to yield 2.057 percent.
(Reporting by Alastair Sharp; Editing by Bernadette Baum)