TORONTO -- The Toronto stock market pulled back slightly amid soft U.S. economic data despite rising resource and financial stocks.
The S&P/TSX composite index closed down 6.82 points at 15,234.34. The Canadian dollar gained 0.15 of a U.S. cent to 79.98 cents.
New York indexes were also lower following a report that U.S. gross domestic product grew at an annual rate of 2.2 per cent in the fourth quarter, weaker than the 2.6 per cent first estimated.
A bigger surprise was a glum reading on the manufacturing sector in the U.S. Midwest, which fell to a 5 1/2 year low and into contraction territory in February. Analysts says they believe there is something unusual in the Chicago Purchasing Managers Index reading and think it will be treated with skepticism by traders.
The Dow Jones industrials lost 81.72 points to 18,132.70, while the Nasdaq gave back 24.36 point to 4,963.53.
Oil prices gained $1.59 to US$49.76 a barrel.
