The eight-session positive string for equities in Canada’s largest centre ended Tuesday, though stocks gave it the old college try toward the finish as health-care and energy weighed matters down.
The TSX finished to within 2.52 points of breakeven, to wrap up Tuesday at 20,275.76.
The Canadian dollar brushed off 0.06 cents to 74.36 cents U.S.
Health-care stocks took the brunt of the damage, with Bausch Health Companies subsiding 31 cents, or 3%, to $10.14, while Sienna Senior Living ditched 20 cents, or 1.9%, to $10.55.
In energy issues, Headwater Exploration handed over 15 cents, or 2.3%, to $6.45, while Whitecap Resources faded 39 cents, or 3.5%, to $10.66.
In consumer stocks, Spin Master lost $2.03, or 5.3%, to $36.34, while BRP Inc. hurtled earthward $4.85, or 4.7%, to $98.21.
Gold plays tried to reverse the negative trend, with Kinross higher 39 cents, or 6.1%, to $6.81, while Barrick Gold added $1.16, or 4.6%, to $26.39.
Communications were successful, as Rogers climbed $1.99, or 3.3%, to $63.14, while BCE raced higher $1.43, or 2.4%, to $62.30.
In materials, MAG Silver captured $1.12, or 6.6%, to $18.22, while Agnico Eagle Mines hiked $3.93, or 5.6%, to $74.47.
On the economic front, Statistics Canada reported building permits in Canada advanced 8.6% to $10.7 billion in February.
ON BAYSTREET
The TSX Venture Exchange dipped 1.11 points to 630.04.
The 12 TSX subgroups were evenly split, with health-care capsizing 1.7%, energy down 1.2%, and consumer discretionary off 1.1%.
The half-dozen gainers were led by gold, up 3.3%, while communications soared 1.7%, and materials headed higher 1.4%.
ON WALLSTREET
The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell nearly 200 points on Tuesday as traders assessed a spike in oil prices and what that could mean for the global economy.
The 30-stock index tumbled 198.11 points to 33,403.04.
The S&P 500 dipped 23.89 points to 4,100.62, in minus country for the first time in five days.
The tech-heavy NASDAQ dropped 63.13 points to 12,126.33.
This week, the energy market became another potential source of uncertainty, after OPEC+ announced it was slashing output by 1.16 million barrels of oil per day. West Texas Intermediate futures had their biggest daily gain in nearly a year on the news. On Tuesday, however, crude traded slightly lower.
Available positions fell to 9.93 million for the month, down more than 600,000 from January and well below the FactSet estimate of 10.4 million, according to a U.S. Labor Department report Tuesday.
Prices for the 10-year Treasury gained, lowering yields to 3.35% from Monday 3.41%. Treasury prices and yields move in opposite directions.
Oil prices forged ahead two cents to $80.44 U.S. a barrel.
Gold prices advanced $39.00 to $2,039.40 U.S. an ounce.