Stocks in Canada’s biggest centre fell on Monday, hitting its lowest level in a month as energy and other resource shares declined alongside the price of oil.
The S&P/TSX Composite Index went south 107.14 points to 16,132.08, placing the index into the red for the year so far.
The Canadian dollar weakened 0.21 cents at 80.99 cents U.S.
Enbridge Inc was among the biggest drags on the index, down 1.3% at $46.44.
Gold producers retreated, Among the decliners, Barrick Gold shed 1.5% to $17.93.
Cannabis company Aphria Inc fell 4.5% to $19.25 after it said it would buy Nuuvera Inc for $826 million to expand globally. Shares of Nuuvera jumped 12% to $7.84.
The largest percentage gainer on the TSX was Torex Gold Resources, which rose 18.7%, while the largest decliner was Canopy Growth Co, down 4.5%
Among the most active Canadian stocks by volume, Bombardier was up 4.8% at $3.71 after a U.S. trade commission on Friday backed the Canadian plane maker in a trade dispute with Boeing.
Officials from the United States, Canada and Mexico will wrap up the sixth of seven planned rounds of talks on the North American Free Trade Agreement in Montreal on Monday, with little sign of agreement on the toughest U.S. proposals to overhaul the $1.2-trillion pact.
ON BAYSTREET
The TSX Venture Exchange slipped 6.57 points to 882.34
All but one of 12 TSX subgroups were lower midday, as health-care slumped 2.5%, gold dulled 2%, and energy slouched 1.5%.
Only industrials held out against the negative tide, gaining 0.3%.
ON WALLSTREET
U.S. stocks traded lower on Monday as a jump in sovereign interest rates gave investors pause.
The Dow Jones industrial average dropped from Friday’s all-time high by 103.54 points to 26,513.17
The S&P 500 slumped 10.96 points to 2,861.91, with utilities and telecommunications as the worst-performing sectors.
The NASDAQ fell 22.12 points to 7,483.66
Equities were also boosted last week by stronger-than-expected quarterly results from major companies. Thus far, the corporate earnings season has been strong. Of the S&P 500 companies that have reported as of Monday morning, 78% have reported surpassed bottom-line expectations, while 77% have beaten revenue estimates
Boeing, McDonald's, Apple, Chevron, and Facebook are among the companies scheduled to report later this week.
Elsewhere in corporate news, K-Cup maker Keurig announced it will buy Dr Pepper Snapple. Keurig said Snapple shareholders will receive $103.75 per share in a special cash dividend and keep 13% of the new company. Dr Pepper Snapple jumped 29% on Monday.
The Federal Reserve's preferred inflation measure, the personal consumption expenditures (PCE) price index excluding food and energy, rose 0.2% in December. The so-called core PCE increased 1.5% in the 12 months through last month.
Prices for the benchmark 10-year Treasury note plummeted, raising yields to 2.71% from Friday’s 2.66%. Treasury prices and yields move in opposite directions.
Oil prices forfeited 70 cents a barrel to $65.44 U.S.
Gold prices dipped $13.30 to $1,338.80 U.S. an ounce.
