Equities in Canada’s biggest market sustained broad-based losses on Tuesday, as a drop in oil prices weighed on the resource-linked market.
The S&P/TSX Composite Index fell 82.43 points to greet noon at 13,307.76
The Canadian dollar moved forward 0.19 cents to 76.02 cents U.S.
The biggest moves were made by Suncor Energy, which fell 2.1% to $35.05, and Royal Bank of Canada, which declined 0.7% to $74.21.
Teck Resources experienced a 5.2% drop to $9.25.
Australia's Qube Holdings Ltd and Canada's Brookfield Asset Management Inc are raising a A$1-billion ($753-million) loan to help pay for the ports business of Asciano Ltd, in a carving-up of Australia's largest ports and rail operator, people familiar with the transaction said.
The shares of Brookfield fell 0.3 percent to $44.34.
Kinross Gold rose 4.5% to $4.17, helped by strengthening in the price of gold ahead of a speech by U.S. Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen.
The shares of Amaya Inc rose 3.8% to $15.37 after the gambling website operator said its chief executive was taking an indefinite paid leave of absence.
On the economic calendar, Statistics Canada reported its industrial product price index moved lower 1.1% in February – due to lower energy and petroleum products -- while its raw materials price index tailed off 2.6% during the same month, mainly as a result of lower prices for crude energy products.
ON BAYSTREET
The TSX Venture Exchange inched lower 0.73 points to 575.07
Nine of the 13 TSX subgroups were lower, with metals and mining down 2.7%, health-care ailing 2.3%, and energy 1.8% less energetic.
The four gainers were led by information technology, clicking 0.7% higher, gold, shinier 0.4%, and telecoms, up 0.1%.
ON WALLSTREET
Equities in the United States traded mixed Tuesday as a pressure from low oil prices offset gains in tech stocks, ahead of a highly anticipated speech from Fed Chair Janet Yellen.
The Dow Jones Industrials remained negative 32.22 points by noon to 17,503.17, with Apple and McDonald's contributing the most to gains.
The S&P 500 dipped 1.9 points to 2,035.15. Information technology led S&P 500 advancers. Energy briefly traded 1.5% lower to lead decliners
The NASDAQ index moved positive 19.72 points to 4,786.50. Apple briefly gained 1.5% and Microsoft, Amazon.com and Facebook traded more than 1% higher to support gains in the tech-heavy index.
Late Monday, the U.S. Justice Department said it no longer needs Apple's help after accessing data on the iPhone used by a shooter in last year's San Bernardino, California, attacks.
Lennar beat estimates by 11 cents with earnings of 63 cents U.S. a share, on revenue that also topped expectations. The home builder reported a nearly 10% increase in new orders and a 12% rise in deliveries.
The stock pared gains to hold more than 1% higher in mid-morning trade
Economically speaking, U.S. consumer confidence showed a rise in March to 96.2 from 94.0 in February.
In other economic news, the S&P/Case-Shiller 20-City Composite Index for January showed a 5.7% rise from the previous year. The March jobs report is due Friday.
Prices for the 10-year Treasury gained ground, lowering yields to 1.85% from Monday’s 1.89%. Treasury prices and yields move in opposite directions.
Oil prices fell $1.29 a barrel to $38.10 U.S.
Gold prices progressed $5.19 to $1,226.90 U.S. an ounce.
