TSX lower on energy and materials as Wall Street indexes mostly higher

TORONTO -- Canada's main stock index finished the day with moderate losses as Wall Street indices pushed mostly higher, continuing a New Year rally.

The S&P/TSX composite index was down 31.79 points to 16,317.65, in a largely broad-based decline that included the influential energy and materials sectors.

In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average fell 12.87 points to 25,283.00. The S&P 500 index edged up 4.56 points to 2,747.71 and the Nasdaq composite index advanced 20.83 points to 7,157.39.

The Canadian dollar closed at an average trading price of 80.50 cents US, down 0.13 a U.S. cent.

In commodities, the February crude contract added 29 cents to US$61.73 per barrel and the February natural gas contract was up four cents to US$2.84 per mmBTU.

The February gold contract gave back US$1.90 to US$1,320.40 an ounce and the March copper contract was down a cent at US$3.22 a pound.