CANADA FX DEBT-C$ stumbles on concerns about U.S. economy

 * C$ ends at 97.07 U.S. cents

 * US$ weakness against other currencies hurts C$

 * Bonds follow U.S. Treasuries higher
 (Updates to close, adds quote)

 TORONTO, Sept 28 (Reuters) - Canada's dollar fell against
its U.S. counterpart on Tuesday, undercut by weak oil prices
and broad investor concerns about the health of the U.S.
economy.

 The greenback fell broadly against some major currencies
after data showed U.S. consumer confidence declined to the
lowest level in seven months in September, increasing
expectations that the U.S. Federal Reserve will print money to
buy assets to stimulate spending and investment, a process
known as quantitative easing. [FRX/]

 Typically, a weak U.S. dollar would provide a boost to the
Canadian currency, but Canada's close ties to the American
economy have kept it under pressure, market watchers say.

 "Canada has been caught up in this holding pattern whereas
the U.S. dollar has depreciated against pretty much all the
other majors in anticipation of quantitative easing. The
Canadian dollar just refuses to participate," said David Tulk,
senior macro strategist at TD Securities.

 "I think that is largely a reflection of people realizing
that maybe the Bank of Canada won't be aggressive with hiking
rates through the end of the year. That has weighed on the
currency."

 Markets are currently pricing in only a 20 percent chance
of a Bank of Canada rate hike on Oct 19, according to a Reuters
calculation using data on overnight index swaps. BOCWATCH

 The Canadian dollar CAD=D3 finished at C$1.0302 to the
U.S. dollar, or 97.07 U.S. cents, down from Monday's finish of
C$1.0283 to the U.S. dollar, or 97.25 U.S. cents.

 "If there is a such a decline in the U.S. confidence levels
is that seeping over more so to the Canadian economy?" C.J.
Gavsie, managing director of foreign exchange sales, said of
Tuesday's consumer confidence reading.

 "We're so closely tied there are concerns, definitely."

 Market watchers say the underlying theme pervading markets
is uncertainty about the strength of the global recovery in
2011.

 Key areas of focus include any future quantitative easing
by the Fed, even in a modest form, as well as concerns about
euro zone banks and some countries' debts. [ID:nFEDAHEAD]
[MKTS/GLOB]

 Also weighing on the currency on Tuesday was weak oil, a
key Canadian export, which fell to around $76 a barrel. [O/R]

 Gavsie said a technical range to look out for this week is
between C$1.0265 to the U.S. dollar and C$1.04.

 BONDS HIGHER

 Canadian bond prices tracked higher with U.S. Treasuries, a
market in which the yield curve was the flattest since early
September. [US/]

 "What we've seen in terms of the global bond bid over the
last little while has been reflected in Canada," said TD's
Tulk. "In expectation that the Fed does proceed with
quantitative easing as early as November, some of that will
bleed through to Canadian yields."

 Canadian bonds mostly outperformed their U.S. counterparts,
with the exception of the long end. The two-year bond was up 6
Canadian cents to yield 1.391 percent, while the 10-year bond
rose 53 Canadian cents to yield 2.741 percent.
 (Reporting by Jennifer Kwan; editing by Peter Galloway)