By Commodity News Service Canada
WINNIPEG, Feb. 22 (CNS Canada) The Canadian dollar was weaker Wednesday morning, as losses in crude oil and soft domestic retail sales data weighed on the currency.
At 9:54 CST Wednesday morning the Canadian dollar was at US$0.7584 or C$1.3186 which compares with Tuesday’s North American close of US$0.7612 or C$1.3138.
Canadian retail sales posted an unexpected 0.5 per cent decline in December, according to the latest Statistics Canada data. The decline was the largest in nine months, and came following a 0.3 per cent rise the previous month.
The US Federal Reserve is set to release the minutes of its most recent policy meeting later in the day, and currency traders will be reading between the lines for signs of future rate moves.
The TSX was down by 38.97 points at 9:55 CST to sit at 15,883.40.
