OTTAWA, May 20 (Reuters) - Statistics Canada found no evidence of a leak of its inflation data on Wednesday, despite a move by the Canadian dollar half an hour before the numbers were released, spokesman Jonathan Massey-Smith said.
Traders in London had said there were rumors the data, showing lower than expected inflation, had been leaked and this had caused a brief dip in the Canadian currency ahead of the 7 a.m. EDT (1100 GMT) official release time. The currency later surged higher on higher commodity prices to close at C$1.1404 to the U.S. dollar or 87.69 U.S. cents.
'We have no evidence of any unauthorized release of our data,' Massey-Smith said. 'Rumors and speculation happen all the time.'
The federal statistical agency faced similar speculation of a leak on May 8 just ahead of sensitive jobs data. It found no evidence then either, but it has tightened up security procedures.
(Reporting by Randall Palmer; editing by Rob Wilson) Keywords: CANADA ECONOMY/LEAK (randall.palmer@thomsonreuters.com; +1-613-235-6745; Reuters Messaging: randall.palmer.reuters.com@reuters.net) COPYRIGHT Copyright Thomson Reuters 2009. All rights reserved. The copying, republication or redistribution of Reuters News Content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Thomson Reuters.
Traders in London had said there were rumors the data, showing lower than expected inflation, had been leaked and this had caused a brief dip in the Canadian currency ahead of the 7 a.m. EDT (1100 GMT) official release time. The currency later surged higher on higher commodity prices to close at C$1.1404 to the U.S. dollar or 87.69 U.S. cents.
'We have no evidence of any unauthorized release of our data,' Massey-Smith said. 'Rumors and speculation happen all the time.'
The federal statistical agency faced similar speculation of a leak on May 8 just ahead of sensitive jobs data. It found no evidence then either, but it has tightened up security procedures.
(Reporting by Randall Palmer; editing by Rob Wilson) Keywords: CANADA ECONOMY/LEAK (randall.palmer@thomsonreuters.com; +1-613-235-6745; Reuters Messaging: randall.palmer.reuters.com@reuters.net) COPYRIGHT Copyright Thomson Reuters 2009. All rights reserved. The copying, republication or redistribution of Reuters News Content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Thomson Reuters.