Reuters - Toronto stocks finished a strong week
on a losing note on Friday, retreating on the back of sagging
oil and metals prices, with losses offset partly by stronger
financial issues.
Toronto stocks finished a strong week on a losing note on Friday, retreating on the back of sagging oil and metals prices, with losses offset partly by stronger financial issues.
A 5.4 percent drop in oil prices yanked the TSX's heavily-weighted energy subgroup down 2.35 percent, while weaker prices for metals such as copper and gold dragged the materials group down 2.34 percent.
The retreat followed two days of strong gains for the index after it hit a five-month low on Tuesday.
"I think the market is trying to establish maybe a short-term bottom, but struggling to do so," said Douglas Davis, president of Davis-Rea in Toronto.
The S&P/TSX composite index fell 91.93 points, or 0.68 percent, to close at 13,447.29. For the week, it rose 2.7 percent.
Among energy issues, Talisman Energy fell 4.1 percent to C$18.42, while Husky Energy eased 3.7 percent to finish at C$46.67.
On the materials side, Yamana Gold dropped 5.3 percent to C$11.37, while Iamgold eased 4.9 percent to C$6.27.
However, outside of the resource sectors, the index was largely stronger, with seven of the 10 TSX subgroups making gains.
Financial issues led the charge with a 1.4 percent rise, fueled by mutual fund seller IGM Financial, up 2.5 percent at C$42.18, and income trust CI Financial, whose units rose 5.4 percent to C$22.11, after the company said it had talked with a number of parties about possible strategic combinations.
($1=$1.05 Canadian)
(Reporting by Cameron French; Editing by Peter Galloway)