Loonie gains on uncertain greenback

OTTAWA — The Canadian dollar closed higher on Friday as U.S. economic data gave a mixed picture, the Canadian Press reports. The value of the loonie rose by 0.17 of a cent to close at 92.11 cents. U.S. housing starts for April came in higher than expected, but financial markets are feeling the stress of concerns over the pace of recovery in Europe. Meanwhile, bond yields have fallen on both sides of the border due to skittish equity markets.