Canada's main stock index fell on Friday with the market disappointed by Canadian retail sales data and gripped by concern over the Greece debt crisis.
The S&P/TSX composite index docked 64.27 points to greet noon at 14,706.37
The Canadian dollar fell 0.40 to 81.40 cents U.S.
The most heavily weighted decliners on the index were Royal Bank of Canada, which fell 1% to $77.11, and Bank of Nova Scotia, which declined 1.2% to $64.38.
Other heavy index drags include energy stocks, which slid. Canadian Natural Resources fell 1.4% to $34.70. Trilogy Energy took the biggest hit, falling 23 cents, or 3.7%, to $5.94.
Oil and gas shares were pressured in part by crude prices that fell on Greece worries and expectations that U.S. shale oil output would continue to grow this year.
On the economic ledger, Statistics Canada reported that retail sales, retail sales edged down 0.1% in April to $42.5 billion, following gains in February and March. Lower sales at food and beverage stores as well as electronics and appliance stores offset higher sales in most other sub-sectors.
Meanwhile, the Consumer Price Index rose 0.9% in the 12 months to May, after increasing 0.8% in April. The agency added that, a seasonally-adjusted monthly basis, inflation increased 0.4% in May, following a 0.1% decline in April.
ON BAYSTREET
The TSX Venture Exchange eked up 0.57 points to 683.19
All but three of the 14 TSX subgroups were lower by midday, with metals and mining capsizing 1.6%, while financials and energy each gave up 0.8%.
The three gainers were health-care, up 0.3%. consumer discretionary stocks taking on 0.2%, and industrials hiking 0.1%.
ON WALLSTREET
U.S. stocks traded lower on Friday, following a record close on the NASDAQ, as investors watched developments in the Greece debt talks.
The Dow Jones Industrials fell 52.68 points to 18,063.16, with Travelers the greatest decliner and Home Depot leading advancers.
The S&P 500 index dropped 5.65 points to 2,115.59, with energy leading six sectors lower and consumer staples leading advancers.
The NASDAQ fell 10.26 points from Thursday’s all-time high to 5,122.69
Euro-zone officials are expected to hold an emergency summit Monday after failing to reach an agreement on a cash-for-reforms deal for Greece at a meeting Thursday. Athens has said without further aid, it will be unable to make a 1.5-billion-euro ($1.7 billion U.S.) debt payment to the International Monetary Fund due on June 30.
Prices for 10-year U.S. Treasuries gained sharply, lowering yields to 2.28% from Thursday’s 2.33%. Treasury prices and yields move in opposite directions.
Oil prices slipped 80 cents a barrel to $59.65 U.S.
Gold prices were unchanged at $1,202.00 U.S. an ounce.
