The hot winning streak by stocks cooled off a mite in Toronto Tuesday, after several lucrative days. Losses in health-care and energy proved the main culprits.
The TSX Composite Index closed lower 25.11 points to 17,572.28
The Canadian dollar dumped 0.19 cents to 76.47 cents U.S.
Gold shone brightest, with Alamos Gold climbing 22 cents, or 2.9%, to $7.81, while Alacer Gold picked up 18 cents, or 2.7%, to $6.86.
Among information technology issues, Constellation Software hiked $45.55, or 3.4%, to $1,937.57, while EXFO acquired 11 cents, or 2.1%, to $5.29.
Utilities also fared well with Transalta improving 16 cents, or 1.7%, to $9.60, while Northland Power leaped 44 cents, or 1.6%, to $28.80.
Health-care stocks had thorns in their collective paws Tuesday, as Aurora Cannabis lost 14 cents, or 5.1%., to $2.61, while Cronos Group forfeited 56 cents, or 5%, to $10.71.
Energy stocks faltered, too, as Crescent Point Energy slid 30 cents, or 5.5%, to $5.15, while Husky Energy skidded 54 cents, or 5.4%, to $9.24.
In the industrial sector, shares of Ballard Power fell $1.94, or 11.9%, to $14.35, while Air Canada was grounded $2.41, or 4.7%, to $48.75.
On the economic slate, Statistics Canada reported that manufacturing sales declined 0.6% to $57.0 billion in November, the third consecutive monthly decrease.
ON BAYSTREET
The TSX Venture Exchange erased 3.45 points to end Tuesday at 582.46.
The 12 TSX subgroups were split right down the middle, as gold hiked 1.1%, while information technology and utilities each scored 1% higher.
The half-dozen laggards were weighed mostly by health-care, shedding 2.3%, while energy trundled lower 1.4%, and industrials fell 1%.
ON WALLSTREET
Stocks pulled back from record levels on Tuesday after the Centers for Disease Control told Reuters that a traveler from China was diagnosed with the first U.S. case of coronavirus in Seattle.
The Dow Jones Industrials slumped 152.06 points to 29,196.04
The S&P 500 slipped 8.83 points at 3,320.79
The NASDAQ dipped 18.14 points to 9,370.81.
The Dow snapped a five-day winning streak while the S&P 500 and NASDAQ posted their first loss in four sessions.
Shares of casino and hotel companies Wynn Resorts and Las Vegas Sands fell more than 6% and 5%, respectively, amid fears that the coronavirus outbreak in China would dent international travel.
Airline stocks hit their lows of the day following the news. United Airlines and Delta Air Lines both declined more than 2.5%. Shares of Southwest were down 2.7%, and American Airlines listed lower 4.2%.
The corporate earnings season continued after the bell with Netflix releasing its latest quarterly figures. So far, the reporting period is off to a good start. More than 70% of the S&P 500 companies which have posted better-than-expected quarterly earnings,
Boeing shares added to the downturn, falling more than 3% on news the company doesn’t expect regulators to sign off on the beleaguered jet, the 737 Max, until June or July. The shares were briefly halted.
Sentiment across global markets had taken a hit overnight amid concerns about the virus.
The outbreak of the new coronavirus in China has killed four people with confirmed cases exceeding 200 ahead of the Lunar New Year holiday, during which hundreds of millions of people are expected to travel. Late on Monday, Chinese authorities confirmed that the virus is contagious.
Meanwhile, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) on Monday downgraded its global economic growth forecast from 3.4% to 3.3% for 2020.
The U.S. economy is projected to grow by 2.0% this year, a downward revision of 0.1 percentage points compared with the IMF’s October 2019 forecast.
Prices for the 10-Year U.S. Treasury gained sharply, lowering yields to 1.77% from Friday’s 1.83%. Treasury prices and yields move in opposite directions.
Oil prices slid 29 cents to $58.25 U.S. a barrel.
Gold prices dipped $1.60 to $1,558.70 U.S. an ounce.
