The loonie fell more than a penny against the U.S. dollar in early trading as markets read the soft report as making interest rate hikes in Canada less likely and further off into the horizon.

A Canadian dollar, left, and a Euro are seen next to a series of U.S. dollars in this January 26, 2011 photo in Montreal. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Paul Chiasson.

TORONTO - The Canadian dollar closed at 97.17 cents US on Friday, down 0.95 of a cent from Thursday's close. The U.S. dollar ended at 102.91 cents Cdn, up 0.99 of a cent.

It is an important factor in determining the success of specific Canadian sectors. How important a strong Loonie is to Canada's economy depends on who you ask says Jack Carr, an economist at the University of Toronto.

A lower Canadian dollar may be welcome news for the country's exporters, but waiting for the currency to find its new normal is unsettling.

TORONTO (CP) - The Canadian dollar fell Tuesday as commodities continued to trade lower after beginning the week in negative territory.

TORONTO - The Canadian dollar fell Tuesday as commodities continued to trade lower after beginning the week in negative territory.

Last week, the Canadian dollar was the most shorted major global currency, next to the yen, as speculators ganged up on the currency.

Iceland's central bank has said the loonie, as Canada's dollar coin is known, would be a poor choice for the country, but the issue is one that garnered much attention last year.

... to have become pessimistic on the loonie, foreign investors continue to see the country as a bastion of political, fiscal and central bank stability.