Canada's main stock index fell on Wednesday as lower oil and gold prices weighed on energy and mining stocks.
The S&P/TSX Composite tumbled 97.17 points to greet noon at 14,587.68. Even so, the market was on course to rise 0.4% for the month of August.
The Canadian dollar faded 0.19 cents at 76.2 cents U.S.
The most influential movers on the index included Suncor Energy, which fell 1.9% to $35.73, and TransCanada Corp, which declined 1.2% to $59.14.
The materials group, which includes precious and base metals miners and fertilizer companies, lost ground as well.
Among gold concerns, Barrick Gold fell 2.1% to $22.33, pressured by lower gold prices.
National Bank of Canada reported a 6% increase in quarterly profit, benefiting from a recent acquisition that enabled it to beat market expectations.
Still, its shares fell 2.4% to $46.45, while the overall financials group dipped slightly.
On the economic front, Statistics Canada reported gross domestic product decreased 0.4% in the second quarter, after increasing 0.6% in the first quarter. This was the largest decline in quarterly GDP since the second quarter of 2009.
The agency also says real GDP rose 0.6% in June, essentially offsetting an equivalent decline in May.
ON BAYSTREET
The TSX Venture Exchange fell 4.69 points to 785.66
All but two of the 12 subgroups were negative by lunch hour, with energy issues down 1.6%, health-care ailing 1.5%, and utilities sliding 0.8%.
The two gainers were information technology, eking up 0.2%, and real-estate, nicking up 0.1%.
ON WALLSTREET
Equities south of the border traded lower Wednesday, with energy lagging, as investors analyzed employment data and looked ahead to Friday's jobs report.
The Dow Jones Industrials skidded 20.1 points to 18,434.20, with Chevron leading decliners and Merck the top advancer.
The S&P 500 dropped 11.75 points to 2,164.37, as energy fell about 1%. Energy extended losses after the U.S. Energy Information Administration said inventories rose by 2.3 million barrels last week. U.S. crude prices fell more than 1.5% to $45.57 U.S. a barrel
The NASDAQ Composite retreated 23.93 points to 5,199.06
The Dow and the S&P also erased all their gains for August, while the NASDAQ held about 1% higher month to date.
Private companies added 177,000 jobs in August, according to the latest report from ADP and Moody's Analytics. Economists expected a gain of 175,000.
Experts expect the August jobs report, due Friday, to show the U.S. economy added 180,000 jobs.
Friday's number could also change market expectations for a rate hike in September. According to experts, expectations for a hike in September were 27%.
Other data released Wednesday included the Chicago Purchasing Managers' Index for August, which came in at 51.5. Pending home sales rose 1.3% in July.
Prices for the 10-year Treasury lost ground, raising yields back to Tuesday’s 1.57%. Treasury prices and yields move in opposite directions.
Oil prices dumped $1.41 at $44.94 U.S. a barrel
Gold prices subtracted $5.10 at $1,311.40 U.S. an ounce.
