Stock markets in Canada’s largest market were little changed shortly after the open on Wednesday as gains in the financial and energy sectors were offset by broader losses led by mining and industrial firms.
The S&P/TSX Composite Index fell back 9.19 points to open Wednesday at 15,134.22
The Canadian dollar acquired 0.04 cents to 82.14 cents U.S.
Among health-care firms, Aphria Inc. dropped six cents to $6.32.
Greek police fired tear gas at dozens of Eldorado Gold workers rallying outside the energy ministry in Athens to protest against potential job losses after the Canadian company threatened to suspend investment at its Greek mines.
Eldorado shares jumped 34 cents, or 14.1%, to $2.75.
Desjardins is considering backing out of its $145-million commitment to Kinder Morgan’s Trans Mountain pipeline expansion. Kinder shares took on four cents to $17.45
National Bank of Canada cut the target price on Canadian National Railway to $105.00 from $108.0. CN shares ditched 62 cents to $99.04.
Desjardins raised the price target on Cascades Inc. to $18.00 from $16.00. Cascades shares lost 26 cents, or 1.7%, to $15.29.
ON BAYSTREET
The TSX Venture Exchange inched up 1.19 points to 776.39
All but two of the 12 TSX subgroups were lower in the first hour, primarily health-care, which reversed from its win streak and lost 1.2%, while materials dipped 0.9%, and gold fell 0.6%.
The two groups which did gain were energy, gushing 1.2%, and financials, eking out a gain of 0.2%.
ON WALLSTREET
U.S. stocks traded slightly lower on Wednesday, slipping from record highs set in the previous session.
The Dow Jones Industrials faded 1.44 points to 22,117.42, with Apple as the biggest loser in the index.
The S&P 500 slid 0.65 points from Tuesday’s record high to 2,495.83, Technology stocks were among the worst performers, falling 0.4% after closing at a record high on Tuesday.
The NASDAQ dropped 5.31 points to 6,448.98, with Apple once again the culprit, dropping about 1%.
Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, Lakeland Industries and United Natural Foods Inc. are among the companies reporting earnings Wednesday.
In economic news, the U.S. Producer Price Index — a measurement of wholesale inflation — rose 0.2% in August, below the expected 0.3% increase, among other major data set for release Wednesday.
Prices for the benchmark 10-year Treasury note lost a bit of ground, raising yields to 2.18% from Tuesday’s 2.17%. Treasury prices and yields move in opposite directions.
Oil prices gained 56 cents to $48.79
Gold prices wilted $2.60 to $1,330.10 U.S. an ounce.
