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The Canadian dollar advanced to a three-month high versus its U.S. counterpart as stronger global manufacturing data boosted speculation the worldwide economy is growing, stoking investor appetite for riskier assets.

Canada’s currency rose beyond parity with the greenback as purchasing-manager indexes from China to the U.S. increased and European Union President Herman Van Rompuy said the bloc has reached a “turning point” in its two-year-old debt crisis. Canadian employers added jobs in January for a second month, economists predicted a report will show Feb 3. Stocks climbed.

“The loonie’s doing a bit better on the general positive outlook,” Michael O’Neill, vice president of foreign-exchange trading at RJOFX Canada, a unit of RJ O’Brien & Associates Inc., said by phone from Toronto. “That’s partly from the China data last night and also in part because Europe hasn’t cratered. There’s also a bit more optimism surrounding the U.S. economy. What good for the U.S. is good for global growth; Canada is along for the ride.”

The currency, nicknamed the loonie for the image of the waterfowl on the C$1 coin, appreciated 0.4 percent to 99.86 Canadian cents per U.S. dollar at 5 p.m. Toronto time. It touched 99.64 cents, the strongest level since Oct. 31. One Canadian dollar buys $1.0014.

The U.S. dollar fell against all except two of its 16 most- traded peers as investors sought higher-yielding assets.

Biggest Trade Partner

The loonie gained beyond a one-for-one basis with the greenback for a second day as data from the Institute for Supply Management showed manufacturing in the U.S., Canada’s biggest trade partner, expanded at the fastest pace in seven months. The ISM index rose to 54.1, less than projected, from 53.1 in December, the Tempe, Arizona-based group’s report said. Figures greater than 50 signal expansion.

Chinese factory indexes increased as the world’s second- biggest economy withstood weaker exports driven by the European debt crisis and a government-induced property slowdown. In Germany, Europe’s largest economy, output grew for the first time since September.

“The Canadian dollar is being driven by the better-than- expected PMI data,” Mark McCormick, a New York-based currency strategist at Brown Brothers Harriman & Co., said in an e-mail message. “This has resulted in broad U.S. dollar weakness, a strong rally in equities and has boosted growth-sensitive currencies such as the Canadian dollar.”

Bonds Drop

Canadian government bonds fell. Benchmark 10-year notes slid for the first time in six days, lifting their yields higher by two basis points, or 0.02 percentage point, to 1.90 percent. The securities yielded eight basis points more than comparable U.S. Treasuries, versus six basis points at the end of 2011.

Canada sold C$2.5 billion ($2.5 billion) of 10-year debt today, drawing an average yield of 2.015 percent, according to a statement on the Bank of Canada’s website. The 2.75 percent notes are due in June 2022.

The auction attracted C$5.8 billion in bids for a coverage ratio -- the amount bid relative to the amount sold -- of 2.31. The last offering of 10-year bonds, on Oct. 5, drew an average yield of 2.254 percent and a coverage ratio of 2.52.

Employers in Canada added a net 22,000 jobs last month after a revised increase of 21,700 in December, according to the median of 23 forecasts compiled by Bloomberg News before Statistics Canada reports the data on Feb. 3. U.S. payrolls swelled by 145,000 jobs in January, data due the same day in Washington is forecast to show.

Depreciation Forecast

The loonie will depreciate to C$1.03 by the end of the first quarter after weakening 2.3 percent last year, economists in a Bloomberg survey predicted.

“The price action in the Canadian dollar is more a function of external risks, namely the outlook for the euro zone,” Brown Brothers’ McCormick said. “We also expect momentum in the U.S. economy is likely to wane. As a result, we’re a bit more bearish on the Canadian dollar and expect it to finish the quarter at C$1.06.”

RJOFX’s O’Neill predicted the loonie will stay in a range between 99.60 cents and C$1.0050 at least until the payrolls data this week. He recommended buying the greenback against the loonie at 99.60 cents and 99.70 cents, exiting the trade if the U.S. currency weakens to 99.45 cents.

Fibonacci Analysis

O’Neill, citing Fibonacci retracement levels on the range between the July 26 high in the Canadian dollar at 94.07 cents versus the greenback, and its low at C$1.0658 on Oct. 4, said if the currency breaks through the 61.8 percent retracement level at about 98.80, “we should get 100 percent retracement” back to 94.07 cents. That is unlikely to happen unless the euro can appreciate beyond about $1.3250, O’Neill said. It rose 0.6 percent today to $1.3158.

Fibonacci analysis is based on the theory that securities tend to rise or fall by specific percentages after reaching a new high or low.

Canada’s dollar gained 2.8 percent over the past three months against nine developed-nation counterparts monitored by Bloomberg Correlation-Weighted Currency Indexes. The U.S. dollar appreciated 0.4 percent, while the euro weakened 4 percent.

The EU’s Van Rompuy told European lawmakers “substantially” lower yields on Italian and Spanish bonds signal efforts to overcome the debt crisis and preserve the euro are paying off. Greece and private creditors are near an accord on a debt swap that in principle would include a sweetener tied to a revival in economic growth to ease the plan’s impact on bondholders, people with knowledge of the talks said.

The Standard & Poor’s 500 Index rose 0.9 percent in its first advance in five days. Crude oil for March delivery climbed as much as 1.2 percent to $99.49 a barrel in New York before sliding to $97.31. Crude, Canada’s biggest export, reversed gains after a report showed U.S. inventories climbed.

To contact the reporter on this story: Chris Fournier in Halifax, Nova Scotia, at cfournier3@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Dave Liedtka at dliedtka@bloomberg.net

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Canadian Dollar Gains to Strongest in Three Months as Risk Appetite Grows

It is expected that $10 billion will be risked on Super Bowl Sunday, and not all of it will be wagered on the game itself. Odds are that you are one of many that will be placing a wager this Sunday (I’d bet on it…), and you could in fact feel more agony and frustration over the halftime show than the final score.

I have looked through all the best prop bets for this Sunday’s Super Bowl rematch of the Giants and the Patriots and have come back with some of the best (and weirdest) you can find. Whether you want to bet on the coin toss or the color of Gatorade dumped on the winning coach, I’ve got you covered.

The Coin Toss; New York Giants Will Make the Call

Oddly enough, the coin toss is one of the most bet on props for the Super Bowl. You will never see the odds change from -105 for heads and -105 for tails, and those odds usually stay the same for which team will win the toss. One thing that is interesting to note, however, is that the NFC has won the coin toss in each of the last 14 seasons.

So what does that all mean? Probably nothing, because you’re just flipping a coin. Since we’re talking about ridiculous sports bets and some of you may be taking this seriously, though, I’ll go ahead and give you my pick: Patriots win the toss and will defer. It’s about time that the AFC wins one, and Patriots head coach Bill Belichick recently acknowledged that in his research the team that can score at the end of the half and get the ball first in the second half wins the game 90 percent of the time.

The National Anthem Sung by Kelly Clarkson

Last year Christina Aguilera butchered the national anthem for nearly two minutes, but because she screwed up the lyrics, some sportsbooks had to pay both sides. Don’t expect Clarkson to make the same mistake this year. Aguilera’s mistake should have singers on their toes for quite a while.

The over/under for length of the anthem this year is set at one minute and 34 seconds. Clarkson isn’t as much of a grandstander as Aguilera, so expecting her to come close to two minutes isn’t a good bet. That being said, a lot of betters will likely expect a shorter anthem playing right in to the hands of the odds makers. So in an attempt to sound like I know anything about singing, the anthem or Kelly Clarkson, I will go out on a limb and say bet the over.

The Halftime Show starring Madonna

Ever since Janet Jackson’s “wardrobe malfunction,” the Super Bowl has featured some less eccentric halftime shows including Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers, Bon Jovi and The Who. This year they will again be tempting their fate by letting Madonna host the show with special guests Nicki Minaj and M.I.A.

So could there be another earth-shattering, Twitter-breaking event at this year’s halftime show? The boys in Vegas think there could be a chance for Madonna to at least be, well, promiscuous. You can make a bet that Madonna will kiss another woman sometime during the game, not just the halftime show. A $10 bet that Madonna lip-locks a member of the same sex will net you $50 in returns, so we say bet Madonna kisses another woman.

Will Madonna Kiss Another Woman? Will Madonna Kiss Another Woman? Yes No Total votes: 20

Of course you can bet on more than just whether or not Madonna kisses a woman; there are the more scientific bets like what color her hair will be for the show. Madonna has been rocking the blonde look a lot lately and the line opens with blonde being a -450 pick, so we say bet her hair color will be any other color for only $1 and get that $2.50 in return.

The Winning Shower

Yes, you can even bet on the color of Gatorade dumped on the winning coach. Your choice of colors include lime green (+650), yellow (+160), red (+700) and blue (+1200). There is no color I think more likely to be dumped on the coach than clear/water (+160), however.

Most teams around the league have been swapping out Gatorade for water in the second half of football games because the sugar content of Gatorade can cause some unwanted cramping later in the ball game. No matter which team wins, expect their medical staff to be on top of their game.

Another interesting prop bet surrounding the Gatorade dump is how much time will be left on the clock when the first celebratory spray is attempted. Right now the over/under is set at 40 seconds remaining, with the over being a slight favorite. It could be that the boys in Vegas don’t expect the game to be close at the end…or it just means the winning team will start kneeling the ball with a minute left.

What Color Gatorade Will Be Dumped? What Color Gatorade Will Be Dumped? Lime Green Yellow Orange Red Blue Clear/Water Total votes: 21

Who They Show and What They Say

You can even bet on who the camera finds in the crowd and who the announcers talk about during the game. Of course you may not be able to hear or see it all over the Cheetos munching, keg stands and arguments going on at your Super Bowl party but trust me, you can definitely lose money on it.

There are always notable celebs at the Super Bowl every year, and with so many big name stars from New York and Boston, this year will be no different. You can bet whether you will see Madonna’s daughter Lourdes or Madonna's boyfriend Brahim (Bro-heem? I don’t know why, but I like this bro) Zaibat at all during the telecast. We’re definitely betting we see Madonna Jr. but not so sure her Madonna's latest fashion accessory bro will make the cut.

The same goes for big name stars like Larry Bird, David Letterman and Bobby Knight being caught in the crowd.

No camera shot prop bet is more intriguing to us than the line on who will be shown first between Abby Manning or Giselle Bundchen, though. No offense to Mrs. Manning, but I think we can all agree that Giselle is just a bit more camera friendly. Which is why we are shocked to see that Abby Manning is favored in this bet! When you think about it though, the chances of Abby Manning getting screen time first will likely be because of whom she shares a luxury box with….

Yes, it’s time to talk about Peyton Manning, Jim Irsay and Andrew Luck. There is no doubt they will be hot topics until the saga is over and Luck is drafted, so don’t think for a second you will be able to escape it on Super Bowl Sunday.

The over/under on total Peyton shots is set at 5.5 with the under being slightly more of a favorite. That number seems high, but the very real possibility of a Giants win could give you that sixth shot of Peyton celebrating, and for that we say bet they show Peyton over 5.5 times.

Then there are subsequent bets as to how many times Andrew luck is discussed (O/U two times), how many times Robert Kraft is on TV (O/U four times) and how
many times the NBC crew discusses Jim Irsay (O/U one time).

The most intriguing bet to make is whether or not Giselle Bundchen will end up kissing Tom Brady during the live broadcast. Shockingly, the odds are that she won’t, but a correct “yes” bet will double your money. There is no guarantee that Giselle will even be at the game (in your mind doesn’t count), so this is a risky bet, so pass on Giselle kissing Tom and stick to our pick of Madonna kissing another girl because that one actually seems more realistic.

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Super Bowl 2012 Betting: The Coin Toss, Girl-on-Girl Action and Other Weird Bets

24-03-2011 13:32 Subscribe ow.ly | Facebook ow.ly | Twitter ow.ly Release Date: 22 April 2011 Genre: Documentary Cast: Guy Martin, Ian Hutchinson, John McGuinness Directors: Richard De Aragues MPAA: N/A Studio: CinemaNX Plot: By vividly recounting the TT's legendary rivalries and the Isle of Man's unique road racing history, this 3D feature documentary will discover why modern TT riders still risk their lives to win the world's most dangerous race. The Isle of Man Tourist Trophy is the greatest motorcycle road race in the world, the ultimate challenge for rider and machine. It has always called for a commitment far beyond any other racing event, and many have made the ultimate sacrifice in their quest for victory. A story about freedom of choice, the strength of human spirit and the will to win. It's also an examination of what motivates those rare few, this elite band of brothers who risk everything to win. The vision of top commercials director Richard de Aragues, this promises to be one of the most thrilling films of 2011.

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TT3D : Closer To The Edge - Official Trailer [HD] - Video

by Stephen Ritch

A Christmas fair toy stall organised by two families with children at Marown Primary School has raised £108.25 for Junior Achievement Isle of Man.

The Garrett family, Blair, five, Eilidh, eight, Magnus, 10 and mother Wendy joined forces with the Potts family, Ben, seven, Ellena, nine and mother Becky to support the charity, after the two mothers, both former teachers, saw how the ‘real world’ life skills Junior Achievement develops are of value to children of all ages.

Mrs Garrett explained: ‘Every year we collect for a different charity. On this occasion we raised money for Junior Achievement to give something back to them, as they come into the school annually for the benefit of our children.’
Junior Achievement Isle of Man is a Manx-registered charity. In the 2010-2011 academic year it ran 150 classes in 18 schools, reaching more than 4000 young people. Each year the charity needs to raise more than £300,000. For more details contact Sue Cook, suecook@jaiom.im, telephone 666266 or call in to Junior Achievement Isle of Man, Suite 2, Peterson House, Middle River, Douglas.

http://www.jaiom.im

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‘Toy Story’ Raises Funds for Junior Achievement

So now we’ve heard the State of the Union according to Obama and the State of the State according to John Hickenlooper. We’ve seen Gingrich’s debating prowess and Mitt Romney’s tax returns, Rick Santorum’s sweaters and Ron Paul’s scowl. But how much does that really tell us about the shape America is in?

If we’re not the land of the free, we’re nothing, right? Economists James Gwartney, Robert Lawson and Joshua Hall, like a team of doctors taking your vitals before surgery — the operation in this case being the potential removal of elected officials across the land — bring grim news that Americans’ freedom to better ourselves economically has slid drastically in this decade. Hardly the change we hoped for.

The authors’ Economic Freedom of the World 2011, a data-rich report from the Fraser Institute in Vancouver, B.C., uses five indicators to rank 141 countries on how well they allow you and me to work toward affluence, keep what we earn, and use it as we choose, free from government interference. Since 2000, our country fell down the scale faster than almost any nation on earth.

Notice that this occurred under various combinations of unified and divided control in Washington. The unrelenting trend, with bipartisan culpability, has been “liberty yielding and government gaining ground,” as Thomas Jefferson warned. Notice too that the report’s data end in 2009. The humongous deficits and health-care takeover since then have only worsened our score.

America still ranks 10th in the Fraser global index (exactly where we place in another valuable economic freedom scorecard just updated by the Heritage Foundation). But look who’s ahead of us: Hong Kong, Singapore, New Zealand, Switzerland, Australia, Canada, Chile, the United Kingdom and tiny Mauritius.

Then blush to see the company we’re in among the getting-less-free-fastest club: Only the Latin caudillo regimes of Venezuela and Argentina, and the North Atlantic basket cases of Iceland and Ireland, have regressed as badly as Uncle Sam has in recent years.

But not all the tidings are bad. Colorado, when ranked against our 49 sisters and the 10 Canadian provinces by another team of Fraser Institute scholars in Economic Freedom of North America 2011, trails only Alberta (the oil-rich neighbor whom President Barack Obama spurned with his Keystone pipeline veto), Delaware, Texas, and Nevada.

This result again, paralleling the experience in Washington, has been achieved even as party control seesawed at the state capitol. You can be sure that’s mostly because the Colorado Constitution, unlike the U.S. Constitution, has a Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights to restrain government growth.

And partisans on both sides shouldn’t forget that the North America scorecard (EFNA) has a two-year data lag, exactly as the world rankings do. Hence, it doesn’t reflect the Democrats’ “dirty dozen” tax increases in 2010, nor the Republicans’ sad 2011 performance with a state enabling bill for Obamacare and no effort to repeal for Gov. Bill Ritter’s car tax — er, fee.

Fraser rates the 60 states and provinces on 10 criteria under the headings of size of government, takings and discriminatory taxation, and labor market freedom. If Colorado had passed Right to Work in 2008, we’d rank even higher. And that’s not just a bragging point. EFNA includes statistical proof that living standards rise in a state with almost 1:1 correlation to the rise of economic freedom.

Occupying the best cabin on a sinking ship counts for little. If the Canadians, Brits, and Aussies continue outdistancing the U.S. in that precious freedom Jeb Bush has called “the right to rise,” all our red- and blue-state political cheering will be just so much white noise.

Andrews is director of the Centennial Institute at Colorado Christian University and former president of the Colorado Senate.

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GUEST COLUMN: Keeping score on Americans' declining freedom to succeed