Canadian dollars.Jonathan Hayward/The Canadian Press
The Canadian dollar was lower Thursday while traders took in data showing that the country's trade deficit narrowed far more than expected during September.
The loonie was down 0.31 of a cent to 95.27 cents US as the greenback advanced against most other currencies.
Statistics Canada said the trade deficit with the world narrowed from a revised $1.1-billion in August to $435-million in September.
Economists had largely expected the deficit to come in at $1.1-billion.
The agency reported that merchandise exports grew 1.8 per cent while imports edged up 0.2 per cent in September.
The other major item on the economic calendar for the week is September manufacturing shipments, which will be released on Friday.
Traders also took in confirmation hearings on Janet Yellen's nomination to lead the Federal Reserve.
Yellin's prepared remarks were released Wednesday after the market close and they indicated she won't be straying from the low-interest rate policies of outgoing chairman Ben Bernanke.
She said the economy has regained ground lost to the recession, but unemployment remains too high.
Later, during a question and answer session with senators, Yellen said the Fed understands that quantitative easing involving the monthly purchase of US$85-billion of bonds can't go on forever.
But she made it clear that "it is important not to remove support while the recovery is still fragile."
Yellen added that "it is also important to remove accommodation when the right time comes."
A strong rally on markets during October has largely stalled this month on concerns that the Fed could start tapering as soon as next month. The Fed's bond purchases have kept long-term rates low and supported a strong advance on many markets.
Commodities were mixed with December crude on the New York Mercantile Exchange down 70 cents to US$93.18 a barrel.
Copper was unchanged at US$3.16 a pound after losing ground for the past two days, reflecting disappointment that a meeting of Chinese leaders earlier this week failed to yield hoped-for economic reforms.
Bullion prices advanced with December gold ahead $21.30 to US$1,289.70 an ounce.
Meanwhile, official figures showed that the recovery from recession in the 17-country eurozone continued in the third-quarter of the year – but only just. Eurostat, the EU's statistics agency, says Thursday that the region posted economic growth of 0.1 per cent during the July to September period compared with the previous three-month period. That was in line with market expectations but below the previous quarter's 0.3 per cent growth.