S&P/TSX composite closes down Friday along with U.S. markets

Canada’s main stock index closed lower Friday on broad-based losses, while U.S. stock markets also closed down despite earlier gains.

The S&P/TSX composite index ended down 66.37 points at 21,875.79 as energy and industrials fell.

The Canadian market was showing some pressure after lukewarm growth indications.

Statistics Canada said Friday real gross domestic product grew 0.3 per cent in April and that its early read for May showed growth slowed to 0.1 per cent for the month.

The pace is off some of the gains in earlier months this year as consumers pull back, said Hadiza Djataou, portfolio manager of global bonds at Mackenzie Investments.

“When you look at the details, consumption is really taking a hit. The consumer in Canada is really feeling the pain of this higher rate that we’ve had for the past two years,” she said.

“So I would say stocks are driven by that a little bit.”

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In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average was down 45.20 points at 39,118.86. The S&P 500 index was down 22.39 points at 5,460.48, while the Nasdaq composite was down 126.08 points at 17,732.60.

North American markets initially saw gains in the morning after a positive inflation read.

U.S. consumer prices rose 2.6 per cent in May compared with a year ago, according to the latest personal consumption expenditures index, a key measure for the U.S. Federal Reserve. That signalled continued easing from a 2.7 per cent reading in April and is sharply lower than the peak reading of 7.1 per cent two years ago.

The Canadian dollar traded for 73.06 cents US compared with 73.05 cents US on Thursday.

The loonie was relatively flat after Canada’s GDP data did little to sway bets on interest rate cuts, said Djataou.

“I don’t necessarily feel that it’s increased the chances, but at least it hasn’t decreased the chances significantly of seeing cuts.”

The trajectory of a growing split between the Canadian and U.S. economy spells pressure on the loonie ahead, she said.

“We see the loonie significantly lower from here. We expect the currency to reflect the growth environment especially versus the U.S.”

Djataou said she looked for market reaction to the U.S. dollar after the presidential debate Thursday but said there was fairly muted reaction.

“The market, I think, is not pricing in yet any of the outcome of the election.”

The August crude oil contract was down 20 cents at US$81.54 per barrel and the August natural gas contract was down eight cents at US$2.60 per mmBTU.

The August gold contract was up $3 at US$2,339.60 an ounce and the September copper contract was up four cents at US$4.39 a pound.