Stocks began the first full week of September in the minus column, as losses in tech and gold overtook gains in energy and financial stocks.
The S&P/TSX Composite finished Monday down 40.24 points to 16,495.09.
The Canadian dollar retreated 0.04 cents to 75.97 cents U.S.
Tech stocks took a whacking Monday, as Shopify was bruised $27.89, or 5.6%, to $473.81, while BlackBerry was left black and blue 35 cents, or 3.7%, to $9.13.
Gold stocks were hit hard, too, as Eldorado Gold lost 78 cents, or 6.4%, to $11.36, while Torex Gold slouched 71 cents, or 3.7 %, to $18.32.
Health-care stocks got trampled, as well, as CannTrust Holdings surrendered 13 cents, or 5.6%, to $2.20, while Cronos Group slipped 81 cents, or 5.2%, to $14.90
Energy tried to inject some positive juice into the mix Monday, with NuVista Energy sprouting wings 22 cents, or 11.3%, to $2.16, while Gran Tierra Energy picked up 18 cents, or 10.2%, to $1.95.
Financials also moved into the green, with Manulife climbing 44 cents, or 1.9%, to $23.15, while Power Financial gathered 40 cents, or 1.4%, to $29.25.
Among consumer staples, Alimentation Couche-Tard jumped $1.25, or 1.5%, to $86.67, while Loblaw Companies gained 29 cents to $74.51.
ON BAYSTREET
The TSX Venture Exchange erased 4.8 points to 583.71
All but three of the 12 Toronto subgroups finished the day lower, as information technology tumbled 2.6%, gold slumped 2.5%, and health-care slouched 1.7%.
The three gainers were energy, growing 2.3%, financials, richer by 0.4%, and consumer staples, up 0.1%.
ON WALLSTREET
The Dow Jones Industrial Average posted its fourth straight gain on Monday amid more optimism around U.S.-China trade relations. However, losses in tech shares kept the index’s gains in check.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 38.05 points on the day to 26,835.51
The S&P 500 lopped off 0.28 points to 2,978.43
The NASDAQ Composite subtracted 15.64 points to 8,087.44
Monday’s slight gain put the Dow just 2.1% from its record high set in July. The S&P 500 was 1.6%, and the NASDAQ was 3% below their all-time highs.
Alphabet shares briefly fell 1% on news that 50 attorneys general are joining an antitrust probe against Google. Microsoft shares closed 1.1% lower. The S&P 500 tech sector fell 0.7%.
J.P. Morgan Chase climbed 2.5%. Citigroup advanced 4.3% while Bank of America gained 3.3%.
AT&T shares rose 1.5% after Elliott Management revealed a $3.2-billion stake in the telecom giant. In a letter to shareholders, Elliott said AT&T can “improve its business and realize a historic increase in value.”
The major indexes all started the session trading higher on a Politico report from Friday that said China offered last week to increase purchases of U.S. agricultural products if the U.S. eased restrictions on telecom giant Huawei. China’s offer could also be contingent on the U.S. delaying higher tariffs on about $250 billion worth of Chinese imports
Prices for the benchmark 10-year U.S. Treasury sank sharply, lifting yields to 1.64% from Friday’s 1.56%. Treasury prices and yields move in opposite directions
Oil prices heightened $1.47 to $57.99 U.S. a barrel.
Gold prices dipped $7.30 to $1,508.20 U.S. an ounce.
