TORONTO -- Canada's main stock index closed with a slight gain Friday while U.S. markets slumped on negative expectations in the consumer goods and technology sectors.
The S&P/TSX composite index closed up 29.90 points at 15,484.32, boosted in part by telecom and base metal stocks.
In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average ended down 201.95 points at 24,462.94. The S&P 500 index closed down 22.99 points to 2,670.14 and the Nasdaq composite index was down 91.93 points at 7,146.13.
The Canadian dollar averaged 78.57 cents US, down 0.59 of a US cent as inflation numbers came in below analyst expectations.
The June crude contract closed up seven cents at US$68.40 per barrel and the May natural gas contract ended up eight cents at US$2.74 per mmBTU.
The June gold contract was down US$10.50 to US$1,338.30 an ounce and the May copper contract was unchanged at US$3.13 a pound.
