* Canadian dollar at C$1.3260, or 75.41 U.S. cents
* Chances of a rate hike in July rise to 38 percent
* Bond prices lower across much of a flatter yield curve
* Canada-U.S. 2-year yield spread hits narrowest in nearly 4 months
By Fergal Smith
TORONTO, June 22 (Reuters) - The Canadian dollar strengthened on Thursday against its U.S. counterpart, boosted by higher oil prices and stronger-than-expected domestic retail sales data, while the country's largest alternative lender got a loan from Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE:BRKa) Inc BRKa.N .
Canadian retail sales rose 0.8 percent in April from March to C$48.64 billion. Analysts had forecast an increase of 0.2 percent. solid run of Canadian data continues," Benjamin Reitzes, Canadian rates and macro strategist at BMO Capital Markets, said in a research note. "There's nothing here to alter the Bank of Canada's now more hawkish path."
The Bank of Canada's top two officials said last week that looser monetary policies put in place in 2015 had largely done their work, and the bank would assess whether interest rates must remain at near-record lows. of a rate hike as early as next month rose to 38 percent from less than one-in-four before the retail sales report, data from the overnight index swaps market showed. Traders have already priced in a rate hike for 2017. BOCWATCH
Oil, one of Canada's major exports, edged up from multi-month lows, but prices remained under pressure from a supply glut that has persisted despite the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries' efforts to balance the market. O/R
U.S. crude CLc1 was up 0.49 percent at $42.74 a barrel.
At 9:14 a.m. EDT (1314 GMT), the Canadian dollar CAD=D4 was up 0.6 percent at C$1.3260 to the greenback, or 75.41 U.S. cents.
The currency traded between C$1.3247 and C$1.3338. On Wednesday, it touched a nine-day low of C$1.3348.
Home Capital Group Inc HCG.TO , which nearly collapsed in April, said billionaire Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway would provide a new C$2 billion line of credit to its Home Trust Co unit. bets on the Canadian dollar had reached a record high in May as investors worried that the alternative lender's troubles could hurt the country's red-hot housing market. government bond prices were lower across much of a flatter yield curve, with the two-year CA2YT=RR down 5 Canadian cents to yield 0.939 percent and the 10-year CA10YT=RR falling 4 Canadian cents to yield 1.495 percent.
The gap between Canada's 2-year yield and its U.S. equivalent narrowed by 3.7 basis points to a spread of -40.4 basis points, its smallest since Feb. 24.
Canadian inflation data for May is due on Friday. ECONCA