Markets in Toronto struggled to find gains Tuesday as resource stocks weighed on the index.
The S&P/TSX Composite fell 7.79 points to end Tuesday at 14,524.61
The Canadian dollar slumped 0.49 cents to 76.76 cents U.S.
Base metal stocks had particular trouble, as First Quantum Minerals tumbled 43 cents, or 4.1%, to $9.98, and Teck Resources was bruised $1.12, or 6%, to $17.47.
Energy stocks were also feeling the heat, as Baytex Energy lost 13 cents, or 1.8%, to $7.06, and EnCana shed 15 cents, or 1.5%, to $10.09.
On the positive side, information technology marched ahead with OpenText powering this hike, gaining $2.48, or 3.2%, to $80.19.
Among consumer staples, Alimentation Couche-Tard picked up 52 cents to $58.93, while Metro amassed 70 cents, or 1.5%, to $47.75.
ON BAYSTREET
The TSX Venture Exchange regained 4.88 points to 768.62
Seven of the 13 subgroups moved lower, with metals and mining tumbling 2.4%, materials down 0.8%, and energy falling 0.6%.
The half-dozen laggards were led by information technology, up 1%, consumer staples, ahead 0.8%, and real-estate, up 0.7%.
ON WALLSTREET
Wall Street closed mixed Tuesday after weeks of record highs for stocks, as investors digested second-quarter earnings.
The Dow Jones Industrials regained 25.96 points above Monday’s all-time high to 18,559.01, with McDonald's contributing the most to gains.
The blue-chip index extended gains for eight days in a row for the longest winning streak since October 2013.
The S&P 500 gave back 3.11 points to 2,163.78, with materials and energy leading eight out of 10 sectors lower.
The NASDAQ Composite Index swooned 19.41 points to 5,036.37
Bank earnings continued to surprise with Goldman Sachs posting better-than-expected results Tuesday. Goldman joins Citigroup, JPMorgan Chase, and Bank of America on the list of big U.S. financial institutions topping second-quarter profit forecasts.
Shares of Netflix fell more than 14% after the company beat on earnings Monday, but posted subscriber numbers that missed guidance. The stock is seeing its worst daily performance since October 16, 2014.
Johnson & Johnson beat Wall Street estimates for quarterly sales, helped by strength in its pharmaceuticals business, the company said. The stock rose more than 2% on the news, trading at an all-time high dating back to 1972.
Economically speaking, U.S. housing starts rose more than expected in June, at a pace of 1.19 million units versus economists' expectations of a 1.17 million-unit pace.
Prices for the 10-year Treasury gained, felling yields to 1.56% from Monday’s 1.59%. Treasury prices and yields move in opposite directions.
Oil prices lost 66 cents a barrel to $44.58 U.S.
Gold prices gained $3.40 to $1,332.70 U.S. an ounce.
