The TSX gave back hard-won ground Thursday, as the continuous upward climb in health-care and info tech stocks helped trim its midday losses. Dropping energy and mining shares remained a pressure on the benchmark index.
The S&P/TSX composite index ended the day down 88.31 points to 14,873.93
The Canadian dollar dropped 0.84 cents to 78.59 cents U.S.
The energy group was the weakest, giving back 2.48% due to falling crude oil prices. Canadian Natural Resources retreated $1.04, or 2.8%, to $36.70, while Imperial Oil ducked 95 cents, or nearly 2%, to $47.36.
RMP Energy was the most heavily traded stock, ending the day down 98 cents, or 25.7%, to $2.83
Mining issues were also lower even after a weaker U.S. dollar offered support to gold prices. Sherritt International was down a penny to $2.06, while Teck Resources slid 24 cents to $17.59.
Financials slipped as TD suffered 54 cents, or 1%, to $53.46, and Royal Bank surrendered 44 cents to $75.51.
Health-care stocks gained as Valeant Pharmaceuticals took on $1.73, or 0.7%, to $257.44. Among tech concerns, Aviglion hiked 49 cents, or 2.4%, to $21.07.
ON BAYSTREET
The TSX Venture Exchange inched up 0.73 points to 667.09
Nine of the 14 Toronto subgroups were negative by day’s end, as energy tumbled 2.6%, global base metals hurtled earthward 1.9%, and metals and mining dropped 1.2%.
The five gainers were led by information technology, up 0.7%, consumer discretionary stocks, up 0.4%, and real-estate, better by 0.3%.
ON WALLSTREET
U.S. stocks closed mixed on Thursday as investors eyed options expirations and weighed the Federal Reserve statement that indicated a rate hike would come gradually.
The Dow Jones Industrials tumbled 113.96 points to 17,962.23,
The S&P 500 subtracted 10.23 points to 2,089.27.
The NASDAQ index added 9.95 points to 4,992.38
Apple's first day as a blue chip ended in the red.
The iPhone maker officially began trading as a member of the DowJones industrial average on Thursday, replacing AT&T in the index as Visa's four-for-one stock split took effect.
Facebook closed up more than 2%, on pace for the stock's best weekly gain in five months. On Tuesday, the social media company announced that it will roll out a money-sending function on its Messenger app.
Tesla traded as much as 3% lower following CEO Elon Musk's announced updates to the Model S during a Thursday press conference, which included details on charging range and auto steering.
Guess surged more than 15% on better-than-expected fourth-quarter profit. Expenses fell and online sales rose.
Before the bell, Lennar posted better-than-expected quarterly profit and revenue, indicating some pickup in the housing market heading into the spring. The second-largest U.S. homebuilder by the number of homes sold said deliveries rose 20% in the first quarter and average selling price rose to $326,000 from $316,000 U.S.
Vince reported earnings that beat forecasts on revenue that missed. The high-end clothing firm reported fiscal fourth-quarter profit of $10.5 million U.S.
Nike is due to report after the close.
Weekly jobless claims rose slightly to 291,000 for the week ended March 14. The national current account deficit sharply widened in the fourth quarter to the largest level since 2012.
Prices for 10-year U.S. Treasuries fell a bit, raising yields to 1.97% from Wednesday’s 1.95%. Treasury prices and yields move in opposite directions.
Oil prices skidded $1.08 to $43.58 U.S.
Gold prices gained $18.70 to $1,170.00 U.S.
