Markets

TSX falls as weaker bullion drags materials stocks

  • The materials sector, which includes precious and base metals miners and fertilizer companies, lost 0.6% as gold futures fell 0.9% to $1,682.7 an ounce.
  • Toronto Stock Exchange's S&P/TSX composite index was down 12.45 points, or 0.07%, at 18,368.51.
Published March 8, 2021 Updated March 8, 2021 08:25pm
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Canada's main stock index fell on Monday, with materials stocks leading losses as a firmer dollar and elevated US Treasury yields sent gold prices to a nine-month low.

The materials sector, which includes precious and base metals miners and fertilizer companies, lost 0.6% as gold futures fell 0.9% to $1,682.7 an ounce.

At 9:37 a.m. ET (14:37 GMT), the Toronto Stock Exchange's S&P/TSX composite index was down 12.45 points, or 0.07%, at 18,368.51.

Miners Hudbay Minerals Inc and Ivanhoe Mines Ltd , dropped the most on the TSX, falling 4.4% and 3.6%, respectively.

The financials sector gained 0.3%, while the industrials sector rose 0.1%.

On the TSX, 92 issues were higher, while 119 issues declined for a 1.29-to-1 ratio to the downside, with 14.30 million shares traded.

The largest percentage gainers on the TSX were Mullen Group Ltd, which jumped 4.7% after the freight transportation provider agreed to acquire Apps Transport Group and oil producer Imperial Oil Limited, which rose 2.8%.

The most heavily traded shares by volume were Baytex Energy Corp, Bombardier Inc, and Tetra Bio Pharma Inc.

The TSX posted 12 new 52-week highs and no new lows.

Across all Canadian issues there were 66 new 52-week highs and five new lows, with total volume of 38.66 million shares.