* Canadian dollar at C$1.2536 or 79.77 U.S. cents
* Bond prices mixed across the maturity curve
(Adds updated prices, quotes, details)
TORONTO/OTTAWA, May 2 (Reuters) - The Canadian dollar rose
modestly against the greenback on Monday as the benefit from a
broadly weaker U.S. dollar was offset by a drop in oil prices,
which have been a major driver for the commodity-sensitive
loonie.
Investors were also consolidating positions after a Canadian
dollar rally of 17 percent from a 12-year low in January of
C$1.4689, helped by rebounding oil prices, fiscal stimulus and
stronger-than-expected domestic economic activity.
The loonie also faces technical resistance rising past the
C$1.25 level, which it broke through on Friday but could not
sustain.
After such a strong rally, the Canadian dollar is likely to
be rangebound for now around current levels, without major
catalysts to push it significantly lower or higher, said Don
Mikolich, executive director of foreign exchange sales at CIBC
Capital Markets.
"A bit of the panic from earlier in the year has
disappeared," said Mikolich. "Similarly, it's hard to justify
seeing the Canadian dollar a whole lot stronger, given that we
are still only at $45 oil and we're not looking to hike rates
until perhaps sometime in the second half of next year."
The Canadian dollar ended the North American
trading session at C$1.2536 to the greenback, or 79.77 U.S.
cents, slightly stronger than Friday's close of C$1.2548, or
79.69 U.S. cents.
Oil prices tumbled as production in the Middle East neared
all-time peaks. U.S. crude ended down $1.14 at $44.78 a
barrel.
The greenback fell against a basket of major
currencies as solid German manufacturing data helped push the
euro higher.
The domestic economic calendar was light, with the main
report showing growth picked up in the Canadian manufacturing
sector in April for the second month in a row as businesses
increased their production volumes in response to stronger
demand.
Speculators have increased their bullish bets on the loonie,
U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission data showed on Friday.
Net long Canadian dollar positions rose to 11,999 contracts in
the week ended on Tuesday from 7,308 in the prior week.
Canadian government bond prices were mixed across the
maturity curve, with the two-year price up half a
Canadian cent to yield 0.691 percent, while the benchmark
10-year fell 15 Canadian cents to yield 1.530
percent.
(Reporting by Fergal Smith and Leah Schnurr; Editing by Peter
Cooney)