TORONTO _ The Canadian dollar was down about one-quarter of a U.S. cent shortly after the open of North American stock markets.
The loonie traded at 81.78 cents US, down 0.21 of a U.S. cent from Wednesday's close.
The S&P/TSX composite index was up 56.15 at 15,128.98, after falling 48.19 points on Wednesday.
The Dow Jones industrial average was down 12.68 points at 18,272.72, the Nasdaq index rose 0.1 point to 5,071.84, and the S&P 500 declined 0.39 points to 2,125.46.
On the commodity markets, the July crude contract was up 81 cents at US$59.79 a barrel and the June gold contract fell $2.80 to US$1,205.90 an ounce.
Meanwhile, CNN is reporting that the Chinese navy issues warnings eight times as a U.S. surveillance plane flew over islands that Beijing is using to extend its zone of influence.
In other news, sales of existing U.S. homes slipped in April due to relatively few listings and rising prices, a trend that could weigh on the recovering housing market.
The National Association of Realtors says sales of existing homes fell 3.3 per cent last month to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 5.04 million. April marked the second straight month of the sales rate topping 5 million homes, as strong job growth and low mortgage rates have generated more would-be buyers.
But greater demand in recent months has failed to convince more people to list their properties for sale. In April, there was a 0.9 per cent drop in listings compared to a year ago.
Median home prices climbed 8.9 per cent over the past 12 months to $219,400, just $2,500 shy of the 2006 peak.