Canada's main stock index slipped to a two-week low on Friday, ending the week with a 1.6 percent decline, as the threat of a global trade war weighed on energy and industrial shares. The Toronto Stock Exchange's S&P/TSX composite index ended down 9.36 points, or 0.06 percent, at 15,384.59, its lowest close since February 14.
The energy group retreated 0.4 percent, with Suncor Energy down 2.1 percent at $40.85. Shares of trade-sensitive auto parts and railroad companies added to Thursday's declines. Magna International Inc fell 1.6 percent to C$67.60 and Canadian Pacific Railway Ltd retreated nearly 1 percent to C$224.75.
The overall industrials group slipped 0.4 percent, while the financials group, which accounts for more than one-third of the weight of the TSX, declined 0.2 percent. Gold futures rose 1.2 percent to $1,318.9 an ounce, boosted by investor demand for safer investments.
The largest percentage gainer on the TSX was Sleep Country, which rose 15.4 percent after it reported fourth-quarter results after the close on Thursday. The TSX posted 4 new 52-week highs and 12 new lows, while five of the index's 10 main groups ended lower.