• Loonie touches its strongest since March 18 at 1.2378.
• Canadian retail sales rise 4.8% in February.
• Price of US oil increases 0.7%.
• Canadian bond yields were little changed.

• Loonie trades in a range of 1.2388 to 1.2418.
• Price of US oil rises 1.1%.
• Canadian bond yields were mixed across the curve.

• Canadian dollar was little changed against the greenback.
• Price of US oil rises 0.5%.
• Canadian home prices accelerate in March.
• Canada's 10-year yield climbs to three-week high at 1.581%.

• Canadian dollar strengthens 0.4% against the greenback.
• For the week, the loonie was on track to gain 0.2%.
• Canadian wholesale trade falls 0.7% in February.
• Canadian bond yields rise across a steeper curve.

• Canadian dollar weakens 0.2% against the greenback.
• Oil rises rise.
• Canadian bond yields modestly higher across the curve.

• Canadian dollar strengthens 0.1% against the greenback.
• Loonie trades in a range of 1.2581 to 1.2627.
• Price of US oil falls 0.7%.
• Canadian bond yields ease across a flatter curve.

• The IHS Markit Canada Manufacturing Purchasing Managers' index (PMI) rose to a seasonally adjusted 58.5 in March from 54.8 in February, posting the highest reading in the 10-year history of the survey. A reading above 50 shows growth in the sector.
• The new orders index rose to 58.0, its highest since November 2013, from 54.4 in February, while the measure of output was at 57.7, up from 52.0.

• Canadian dollar weakens 0.1% against the greenback.
• Canadian factory activity expands at a record pace in March.
• Price of US oil rises 2.4%.
• Canadian bond yields ease across a flatter curve.

*The median forecast of more than 30 strategists was for the Canadian dollar to rise a further 0.6% over the next three months to 1.25 per US dollar, or 80 US cents. * "We expect the Canadian dollar to be a general outperformer among the G10 over the coming year," said Erik Nelson, a currency strategist at Wells Fargo in New York.

• Technology shares led the S&P 500 to a record high, with investors awaiting details on US President Joe Biden's massive infrastructure plan.

• Factory sales gained 3.1% in January. Statscan said the estimate had been calculated based on responses received from 59.0% of companies surveyed.
• The average final response rate for the survey over the past 12 months has been 90.4%, it added.

• Canadian dollar weakens 0.3% against the greenback.
• Loonie trades in a range of 1.2461 to 1.2527.
• Canadian retail sales fall by 1.1% in January from December.
• Canadian bond yields ease across the curve.

• The comments were the latest from medical authorities across the country expressing concern that the new variants could trigger a third wave of the coronavirus.
• A new, longer-range forecast that includes variants of concern indicates a strong resurgence unless we have stringent measures and strict adherence.

• Prices rose 2.0% in Hamilton, 1.0% in Montreal and 0.6% in Victoria, but the index was down 0.1% in Toronto, 0.2% in Calgary, and 0.4% in both Edmonton and Winnipeg.
• Ottawa-Gatineau continued to lead year-over-year gains, up 19.6% from January 2020, followed by Halifax at 16.9% and Hamilton at 16.5%. Calgary home prices are down 0.5% on the year.

• Canada's 2020 GDP most likely fell 5.1%, Statscan said in a preliminary estimate. The goods-producing sector posted a 1.2% increase in November, while the service-producing sector grew by 0.5%.

• Food and drink sales rose by 5.9% and helped push overall retail trade up by 1.3%.
• Most retail businesses were open in November but as the second wave of the coronavirus spread.

• The seasonally adjusted annualized rate of housing starts fell to 228,279 units from a revised 259,949 units in November.
• The survey was not conducted in Kelowna, British Columbia, in December due to COVID-19.

• Canada's real GDP rose 0.4% in October, beating analyst estimates of a 0.3% gain. Statscan said its preliminary estimate for November was also a gain of 0.4%.
• The Canadian dollar was trading 0.2% higher at 1.2879 to the greenback, or 77.65 US cents, after the data.