WINNIPEG – The Canadian dollar took a small step back on Wednesday.
As of 8:45 a.m. CDT, the loonie was at US$0.7756 or US$1=C$1.2893, compared to US$0.7774 or US$1=C$1.2864 on Tuesday.
The United States Dollar Index was up 0.30 of a point at 104.80. The Conference Board announced on Tuesday its U.S. consumer confidence index dropped 4.5 points to 98.7 this month, a 16-month low. On Wednesday, the heads of the U.S. Federal Reserve, the European Central Bank and the Bank of England are set to speak at a banking forum in Portugal.
Crude oil prices continue to increase on Wednesday. Brent crude oil gained US$1.25 per barrel to US$119.23. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) advanced US$1.19 at US$112.95/barrel. Western Canadian Select (WCS) rose US$1.52 to US$95.20/barrel.
The TSX/S&P Composite Index eased off 21.58 points to 19,201.16.
Gold is up US$7.50 per ounce to US$1,828.70.
