TORONTO -- Canada's main stock index ended lower to cap one of its best months and partially recover the steep declines of March.

The S&P/TSX composite index closed down 447.37 points or nearly three per cent at 14,780.74.

In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average was down 288.14 points at 24,345.72. The S&P 500 index was down 27.08 points at 2,912.43, while the Nasdaq composite was down 25.16 points at 8,889.55.

The Canadian dollar traded for 71.89 cents US compared with an average of 71.83 cents US on Wednesday.

The June crude contract was up US$3.78 or 25 per cent at US$18.84 per barrel and the June natural gas contract was up eight cents at US$1.95 per mmBTU.

The June gold contract was down US$19.20 at US$1,694.20 an ounce and the July copper contract was down 2.65 cents at US$2.34 a pound.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 30, 2020.