Equities in Canada’s largest market ended fairly flat Friday, as gold and health-care stocks kept any stock growth in check.
The S&P/TSX Composite remained negative 8.82 points to end the day and the week at 14,687.46.
The Canadian dollar erased 0.53 cents to 77.78 cents U.S.
Among gold stocks that took their knocks, Yamana Gold slumped 25 cents, or 3.6%, to $6.75, while Kinross Gold dropped 11 cents, or 1.7%, to $6.32.
Among health-care issues, beleaguered drug maker Valeant Pharmaceuticals lost 23 cents to $36.96, while rival Concordia International sank 33 cents, or 2.7%, to $11.83.
As for consumer discretionary concerns, Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers gathered five cents to $35.25.
In the industrial sector, Bombardier lost two cents, or 1.1%, to $1.96, while Canadian Pacific Railway chugged along $2.00, or 1%, to $196.10.
Financials did their bit, too, to make up for the losses, as Manulife spiked 36 cents, or 2.1%, to $17.36, and Royal Bank of Canada took on 82 cents, or 1%, to $80.96.
On the economic scene, Statistics Canada reported that the consumer price index rose 1.3% in the 12 months to July, after increasing 1.5% in June. The agency adds, excluding gasoline, the CPI was up 1.9% year over year in July, matching the gain in June.
The agency also said retail sales edged down 0.1% to $44.1 billion in June. Sales declined in seven of 11 sub-sectors.
ON BAYSTREET
The TSX Venture Exchange slumped 4.47 points to 833.11
Eight of the 13 subgroups were lower on the day, as gold and materials scampered lower 1.5%, while health-care ailed 0.8%.
The five gainers were lifted highest by consumer discretionary stocks, better by 0.7%, industrials, up 0.6%, and financials, up 0.4%.
ON WALLSTREET
Equities south of the border closed lower on Friday, with utilities dropping more than 1%, as investors digested hawkish rhetoric from
U.S. Federal Reserve officials and kept an eye on oil prices.
The Dow Jones Industrials subtracted 42.7 points at 18,555, with Wal-Mart the biggest laggard and Nike leading advancers.
The S&P 500 fell 3.15 points to 2,183.87, with utilities leading eight sectors lower and information technology and materials the only advancers.
The Dow and the S&P posted slight weekly losses amid a very narrow trading range. In fact, experts say, the S&P posted its 30th consecutive session without a 1% move on a closing basis on Friday, the longest such streak since 2014.
The NASDAQ Composite lost 1.77 points to 5,238.38, yet achieving another weekly gain, its eighth straight.
Prices for the 10-year Treasury sagged, lifting yields to 1.58% from Thursday’s 1.54%. Treasury prices and yields move in opposite directions.
Oil prices gained 19 cents a barrel to $48.41 U.S.
Gold prices slid $12.40 to $1,344.80 U.S. an ounce.
