Equities in Canada’s largest market dipped on Friday as resource and financial stocks led broad but modest declines in the final trading day of the year.
The S&P/TSX Composite tumbled 35.4 points to greet noon at 15,386.72
The Canadian dollar hiked 0.73 cents to 74.52 cents U.S.
The index closed 2015 at 13,009.95, and had climbed more than 2,400 points during the year, or 16.2%, as of Thursday’s close.
Canadian equity markets are to be closed Monday for New Year’s Day
Enbridge Inc was the most influential decliner on the index, falling 1% to $56.52.
TD Bank declined 0.3% to $66.55 and Canadian National Railway slipping 0.6% to $91.29.
The materials group, which includes precious and base metals miners and fertilizer companies, lost strength, as Barrick Gold shares fell 0.9% to $21.93.
ON BAYSTREET
The TSX Venture Exchange eked up 1.2 points to 761.42
All but three of the 12 TSX subgroups were lower by noon, with gold trailing 2.2%, materials down 1.5%, and telecoms off 0.4%.
The three gainers were health-care, hiking 2.6%, energy, gushing 0.4%, and real-estate, up 0.1%.
ON WALLSTREET
U.S. stocks remained lower by noon Friday, as the three major indexes looked to end a two-day skid. Stocks haven't had a three-day losing streak in two months.
The Dow Jones Industrials fought to within 10.81 points of breakeven to pause for lunch at 19,808.97,
As of Thursday's close, the Dow was down 0.6% this week and is on pace for its first negative week since before the election. It continued to be up 13.7% year to date.
The S&P 500 dropped 4.92 points to 2,244.34. The index was up 10.1% year to date.
The NASDAQ composite index stumbled 37.86 points to 5,394.23, but was still up 8.5% for the year.
For the final data report of 2016, the Chicago Purchasing Manager's Index for December came in at 54.6, lower than consensus forecasts of 56.8. This month's figure is also down from November's reading of 57.6. Looking back, 2016 began with a reading of 55.6 in January.
The bond market will close at 2 p.m. ET on Friday, while the stock market maintains normal hours. The yield on the benchmark 10-year Treasury note was slightly lower at 2.46% from Thursday’s 2.48%, with prices higher. Treasury prices and yields move in opposite directions.
Oil prices dipped six cents to $53.71 U.S. a barrel
Gold prices fell $1.20 to $1,156.90 U.S. an ounce.
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