The Canadian dollar added to gains against the US dollar on Friday, while bonds extended losses, on a pair of strong numbers that blew past expectations and for some, built the case that the Bank of Canada will soon pull the trigger on interest rate hikes. At 10:15 am, the currency was at C$1.2466 to the US dollar, or 80.22 US cents, up from C$1.2571 to the US dollar, or 79.55 US cents, at Thursday's session close.
It was already on the rise after numbers showed Canada's economy gained 35,400 jobs in May, nearly triple the 12,000 forecast, but the key-manufacturing sector was again badly hit and shed almost 19,000 positions.