Canada's main stock index finished lower on Monday, weighed by losses among industrial and health-care stocks.
The S&P/TSX composite index dipped 46.66 points to close Monday at 14,743.12
The Canadian dollar gained 0.97 cents at 89.85 cents U.S.
Among financials, Royal Bank of Canada climbed 21 cents or, 0.3% to $80.23, but Toronto Dominion Bank erased three cents to $54.11.
The materials sector, which includes mining stocks, benefited from strength in commodity prices. First Quantum Minerals advanced 17 cents, or 0.8%, to $21.02, and Goldcorp firmed 38 cents, or 1.5% to $25.85.
Air Canada jumped 34 cents, or 4.3%, to $8.24, after reaching a tentative agreement with its pilots' union on a new 10-year contract, a year and a half ahead of the expiry of the current contract.
On matters economic, Western University’s Ivey PMI data for September came in at 58.6, compared to 50.9 in August, and 51.9 in September 2013.
The PMI shows responses to whether purchasing managers spent more, less, or the same than the month before. A figure above 50 shows an increase while below 50 shows a decrease.
ON BAYSTREET
The TSX Venture Exchange surrendered 14.84 points to 867.98.
Nine of the 14 Toronto subgroups were lower with industrials sliding 1%, health-care, off 0.9%, and consumer staples, faltering 0.7%.
The five gainers were led by gold, up 0.9%, global base metals, ahead 0.6%, and materials, moving north 0.5%.
ON WALLSTREET
U.S. stocks fell on Monday, with investors adopting a cautious approach two days before the release of minutes from the Federal Reserve's last meeting and quarterly earnings.
The Dow Jones Industrials faded 17.78 points to 16,991.91, with Cisco Systems leading blue-chip losses that extended to 17 of 30 components.
The S&P 500 stumbled 3.08 points to 1,964.82. The NASDAQ index dumped 20.82 points to 4,454.80.
H&R Block led declines on the S&P 500 after the tax preparer said the sale of its banking business to BofI Federal Bank had been bogged down by regulatory hurdles.
The U.S. Federal Open Market Committee releases minutes from its last session on Wednesday, with the Federal Reserve on track to conclude its bond purchases this month.
The unofficial launch of the third-quarter earnings season also starts Wednesday with results expected from aluminum-producer Alcoa, with eight additional S&P 500 companies slated to post results this week.
Hewlett-Packard rallied after saying it would divide into two companies; GT Advanced Technologies declined after Apple's partner in a sapphire glass factory in Arizona said it filed for voluntary bankruptcy protection.
Prices for 10-year U.S. Treasuries eked up, lowering yields to 2.42% from Friday’s 2.45%. Treasury prices and yields move in opposite directions.
Oil prices revived 66 cents to $90.40 U.S. a barrel.
Gold prices gained $15.70 to $1,208.60 U.S. an ounce.
