Markets in Canada’s biggest centre fell on Thursday as consumer staples stocks provided the biggest drag amid broad-based losses ahead of the New Year's Day holiday on Friday.
The S&P/TSX composite index plummeted 132.34 points, or 1%, to end 2015 at 13,009.95.
The Canadian dollar inched down 0.1 cents to 71.94 cents U.S.
Among the consumer staples group, grocer Metro Inc. dipped $1.16, or 2.9%, to $38.77, while Loblaw fell $1.18, or 1.8%, to $65.19.
Financials took a beating, too, as TD Bank fell 80 cents, or 1.5% to $54.21, while RBC hesitated $1.44, or 1.9%, to $74.15.
Telecoms also suffered, as BCE Inc. let go of 88 cents, or 1.6%, to $53.42, while TELUS dropped 60 cents, or 1.5%, to close the year out at $38.31.
The lone gaining group was in energy, where EnCana muscled up 31 cents, or 4.6%, to $7.02, and Cenovus Energy climbed seven cents, or 0.4%, to $17.48.
ON BAYSTREET
The TSX Venture Exchange gained 4.73 points to 525.59
All but one of the 13 TSX subgroups were lower, as consumer staples hurtled lower by 2.1%, financials shed 1.7%, and telecoms dropped 1.4%.
The lone gainer was in energy, up 0.6%.
ON WALLSTREET
U.S.stocks closed lower in light volume trade Thursday, the last day of 2015, despite some stabilization in oil prices.
The Dow Jones industrial average collapsed 178.84 points, or 1%, to finish 2015 at 17,425.03, with Apple leading decliners and General Electric the only advancer.
The S&P 500 lost 17.21 points to 2,046.15, with information technology leading nine sectors lower and energy the only improver.
The NASDAQ index dropped 58.44 points, or 1.2%, to 5,007.41.
The S&P 500 and Dow both ended lower for the year, their worst since 2008. The NASDAQ closed up more than 5.5% for the year as biotech stocks and major tech names outperformed.
In a light day of economic news, the Chicago Purchasing Managers' Index came in at 42.9 for December.
U.S. weekly jobless claims came in at 287,000, up from 267,000 the week before.
Prices for the 10-year Treasury retook lost ground, lowering yields to 2.27% from Wednesday’s 2.29%. Treasury prices and yields move in opposite directions.
Oil prices finished positive 46 cents a barrel to $37.06 U.S.
Gold prices lost 78 cents to $1,060.66 U.S. an ounce.
