CANADA FX DEBT - Canadian dollar strengthens, benchmark yield slips

The Canadian dollar strengthened against the greenback on Friday, and the yield on benchmark government debt slipped.

The loonie CAD= was trading 0.1% higher at C$1.4088 to the greenback, or 70.98 U.S. cents, after trading in a range of 1.4082 to 1.4113.

Canadian government 10-year bond yields CA10YT=RR fell 1.9 basis points to 3.209%. The yield on similar U.S. government benchmark debt fell to 4.0613%.

U.S. January crude CLc1 futures fell 72 cents to $58.28 a barrel on Friday.

Canadian retail sales fell 0.7% in October from September. Analysts polled by Reuters had expected retail sales to drop 0.7%.Excluding autos, retail sales fell 0.2% in October, Statistics Canada said. Analysts had forecast October sales, excluding autos, to be down 0.5%.