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 0.4% higher at C$1.3795 to the greenback, or 72.49 U.S. cents, after trading in a range of 1.3795 to 1.3863.

Canadian government 10-year bond yields CA10YT=RR fell 4.1 basis points to 3.331%. The yield on similar U.S. government benchmark debt fell to 4.4852%.

U.S. July crude CLc1 futures fell 73 cents to $60.47 a barrel on Friday.

Canadian retail sales rose 0.8% in April from March. Analysts polled by Reuters had expected retail sales growth of 0.7%.Excluding autos, retail sales fell 0.7% in April, Statistics Canada said. Analysts had forecast April sales, excluding autos, to be be flat.