Equities in Canada’s largest market dipped on Friday as resource and industrial stocks led broad declines in the final trading day of the year.
The S&P/TSX Composite collapsed 142.96 points to close the day, week, month and year at 15,279.16
The Canadian dollar hiked 0.71 cents to 74.5 cents U.S.
Even so, the index improved more than 2,200 points, or 16.3%, from 2015’s finish of 13,009.95.
Canadian equity markets are to be closed Monday for New Year’s Day
Gold stocks took the worst drubbing Friday, as Iamgold gave back 21 cents, or 3.9%, to $5.19, while Barrick Gold surrendered 63 cents, or 2.9%, to $21.49
Materials stocks suffered as First Majestic Silver dived 82 cents, or 7.4%, to $10.25, while First Quantum Minerals dipped 53 cents, or 3.8%, to $13.35.
Among industrials, Bombardier was down a penny to close the year out at $2.16, while Canadian National Railways dumped $1.48, or 1.6%, to $90.36.
Health-care had a banner day amid all the negativity, with ProMetric Life Sciences shooting skyward 32 cents, or 16.8%, to $2.23, while Valeant Pharmaceuticals climbed 31 cents, or 1.6%, to $19.47.
ON BAYSTREET
The TSX Venture Exchange held its momentum, gaining 2.15 points to finish the year at 762.37
All but two of the 12 TSX subgroups were lower on the day, with gold trailing 3.4%, materials down 2.5%, and industrials off 0.9%.
The two gainers were health-care, hiking 4.4%, and real-estate, up 0.5%.
ON WALLSTREET
U.S. stocks finished 2016 with a thud on Friday after all three major indexes ended the year with three straight days of losses for the first time since Nov. 4.
The Dow Jones Industrials collapsed 56.98 points of breakeven to close the year at 19,762.80, on pace for its first negative week since before the election. It finished up 12.3% on the year.
The S&P 500 dropped 10.39 points to 2,238.95. The index was up 8.3% for 2016.
The NASDAQ composite index stumbled 48.97 points to 5,383.12, but was still up 6.3% for the year.
For the final data report of 2016, the Chicago Purchasing Manager's Index for December came in at 54.6, lower than consensus forecasts of 56.8. This month's figure is also down from November's reading of 57.6. Looking back, 2016 began with a reading of 55.6 in January.
Prices for the benchmark 10-year Treasury note was slightly higher, lowering yields at 2.45% from Thursday’s 2.48%, with prices higher. Treasury prices and yields move in opposite directions.
Oil prices dipped six cents to $53.71 U.S. a barrel
Gold prices fell $6.30 to $1,151.80 U.S. an ounce.
