Canada's main stock index edged lower Friday morning dragged down by weakness in gold and marijuana stocks while investors digested the latest job numbers in both Canada and the U.S.
The S&P/TSX Composite Index shed 69.14 points Friday morning to 16,343.80.
The Canadian dollar climbed 0.07 cents to 80.76 cents U.S.
On the economic front, Statistics Canada reported that the unemployment rate dropped to 5.7 percent in December to reach its lowest mark since comparable data became available in 1976. The economy generated 78,600 net new positions, including 23,700 full-time jobs.
In corporate news, Aurora Cannabis Inc (ACB.T) said on Friday it would buy a 17.6 percent stake in privately held marijuana grower Green Organic Dutchman Holdings for $55 million.
Also -- Abattis Bioceuticals Corp. (ATT:CNX) announced that it is undertaking another non-brokered private placement for gross proceeds to the company of up to $6 million.
Crude-oil prices dropped 0.9% to $61.41 a barrel, while gold futures slipped 0.2% to $1,318.40 an ounce.
ON BAYSTREET
The TSX Venture Exchange inched up 2.09 points, or 0.24%, to 882.47.
Only 2 of the TSX subgroups were positive this morning -- with health-care issues up 2.73% and utility stocks ahead by 0.2%.
On the downside -- Gold stocks were off 1.55%, while materials backtracked 1.35% and base metals issues shed 1.27%.
ON WALLSTREET
Stocks rose on Friday, looking to cap off a strong start to the new year, as Wall Street shook off jobs data that missed expectations.
The Dow Jones industrial average advanced 55 points. The S&P 500 climbed 0.3 percent, with tech stocks outperforming. The Nasdaq composite gained 0.5 percent. The major indexes also reached all-time highs.
The U.S. economy added 148,000 jobs in December, according to the Labor Department. Economists polled by Reuters expected a gain of 190,000. The unemployment rate in December held steady at 4.1%. Hourly earnings rose 2.5% in the past 12 months, meeting estimates, and were up from 2.4% in November.
Other data released Friday include the non-manufacturing ISM index, which fell to 55.9 in December from 57.4 in November. Factory orders, meanwhile, rose 1.3 percent in November, exceeding expectations.
In corporate news -- GoPro Inc. slipped 0.3% following a TechCrunch report that said the company was cutting 200 to 300 jobs in its aerial division, the segment of the company responsible for its Karma drone.
Sears Holdings Corp. said Thursday that it will close more than 100 stores in 2018. The stock fell 2.2% on Friday.
The 10-year Treasury note yield is up 0.2 basis point at 2.456%.
