TORONTO — Rising gold prices propelled Canada’s main stock index higher on the first trading day of the year while U.S. markets fell after hitting record highs.
The S&P/TSX composite index closed up 94.41 points at 17,527.77.
In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average was down 382.59 points at 30,223.89. The S&P 500 index was down 55.42 points at 3,700.65, while the Nasdaq composite was down 189.83 points at 12,698.45.
The Canadian dollar traded for 78.43 cents US compared with 78.54 cents US on Dec. 31.
The February crude oil contract was down 90 cents US at US$47.62 per barrel and the February natural gas contract was up 4.2 cents at US$2.58 per mmBTU.
The February gold contract was up US$51.50 at US$1,946.60 an ounce and the March copper contract was up 3.55 cents at US$3.55 a pound.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 4, 2021.
