CANADA FX DEBT - Canadian dollar strengthens, benchmark yield climbs

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

The loonie CAD= was trading 0.2% higher at C$1.3714 to the greenback, or 72.92 U.S. cents, after trading in a range of 1.37 to 1.3742.

Canadian government 10-year bond yields CA10YT=RR rose 3.5 basis points to 3.473%. The yield on similar U.S. government benchmark debt rose to 4.3005%.

U.S. April crude CLc1 futures fell 54 cents to $95.6 a barrel on Friday.

Canadian retail sales rose 1.1% in February from January. Analysts polled by Reuters had expected retail sales growth of 1.5%.Excluding autos, retail sales rose 0.8% in February, Statistics Canada said. Analysts had forecast February sales, excluding autos, to be up 1.2%.