Stocks moved lower midday Thursday, as global shares were boosted by further easing by the European Central Bank.
The S&P/TSX Composite Index ducked into negative territory 25.9 points to greet noon at 13,367, having enjoyed nine positive sessions in the last 10.
The Canadian dollar deducted 0.69 cents to 74.8 cents U.S.
Heavyweight bank stocks helped push the index higher, with Royal Bank of Canada advancing 1% to $73.95 and Bank of Nova Scotia up 0.9% to $62.35.
Gold miners joined the party even as the U.S.-dollar denominated price of the precious metal pulled back.
Barrick Gold Corp gained 4.2% to $18.91, while Goldcorp Inc rose 3.8% to $21.65.
The most influential gainers also included First Quantum Minerals Ltd, which rose 13.1% to $7.08 after it agreed to sell a Finnish mine for nickel, copper, gold and platinum for $712 million.
On the economic slate, Statistics Canada reports its new housing price index rose 0.1% in January, following an identical increase in December.
The agency says the advance was led by higher new home prices in Vancouver and the combined region of Toronto and Oshawa. The increase was largely moderated by lower or unchanged prices in two-thirds of the metropolitan areas.
ON BAYSTREET
The TSX Venture Exchange remained positive 2.58 points to 572.20
All but three of the 13 TSX subgroups went south by noon, as consumer staples shed 1.7%, information technology fell 1.4%, and energy lost 1%.
The three gainers were gold, up 4.3%, materials, up 2.3%, and metals and mining, up 0.8%.
ON WALLSTREET
U.S. stocks turned lower Thursday, weighed by a decline in energy stocks as oil prices fell, as investors continued to digest the morning's news from the European Central Bank.
The Dow Jones Industrial average gave back 109.36 points to 16,891, with 3M and IBM the greatest contributors to declines and Goldman Sachs one of a few advancers.
The S&P 500 subtracted 6.65 points to 1,982.61. Energy traded more than 1.5% lower to lead S&P 500 decliners.
The NASDAQ index dropped 32.72 points to 4,641.66.
In U.S. economic news, weekly jobless claims declined 18,000 to a seasonally adjusted 259,000 for the week ended March 5, the lowest reading since mid-October, the U.S. Labor Department said.
The prior week's claims were revised to show 1,000 fewer applications received than previously reported.
ECB President Mario Draghi also surprised markets, however, by saying he didn't anticipate a need to reduce rates further, although new facts can change the situation
Prices for the 10-year Treasury faded, raising yields to 1.95% from Wednesday’s 1.88%. Treasury prices and yields move in opposite directions.
Oil prices docked 79 cents a barrel to $37.50 U.S.
Gold prices improved $15.94 to $1,269.17 U.S. an ounce.
