S&P/TSX composite closes down on worries about COVID-19 lockdowns

TORONTO -- Canada's main stock index moved lower to start the week as COVID-19 lockdowns pushed the key sectors of financials, energy and materials down.

The S&P/TSX composite index closed down 161.52 points at 17,387.40.

In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average was down 184.82 points at 29,861.55. The S&P 500 index was down 15.97 points at 3,647.49, while the Nasdaq composite was up 62.17 points at 12,440.04.

The Canadian dollar traded for 78.39 cents US compared with 78.31 cents US on Friday.

The January crude contract was up 42 cents at US$46.99 per barrel and the January natural gas contract was up 9.1 cents at US$2.68 per mmBTU.

The February gold contract was down US$11.50 at US$1,832.10 an ounce and the March copper contract was down 0.15 of a cent at nearly US$3.53 a pound.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 14, 2020