Toronto Markets Try to Make Hay on U.S. Holiday

Futures for Canada's commodity-heavy main stock index edged lower on Monday, tracking the fall in spot gold and crude prices.

Gold and crude oil prices ticked lower on Monday as the U.S. dollar regained some ground amid holiday-thinned trade.

The TSX bounded 148.9 points Friday to finish the week at 20,360.10. Over the last five sessions, the big board gained 546 points, or 2.75%.

March futures on the S&P/TSX index scaled back 0.1% Monday morning.

The Canadian dollar eased up 0.02 cents to 74.65 cents U.S.

Overseas, the Nikkei 225 index in Japan faded 1.1%, while in Hong Kong, the Hang Seng Index enjoyed slight gains of eight points.

Oil prices dropped 70 cents to $79.16 U.S. a barrel.

Gold prices fell $5.20 to $1,916.50 U.S. an ounce.

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On the economic calendar, manufacturing sales in Canada were unchanged in November with higher sales in the motor vehicle and fabricated metal industries offset by lower sales in the chemical and petroleum and coal product industries, while the Canadian Real Estate Association reported national home sales rose 1.3% month-over-month in December. CREA also reported actual (not seasonally adjusted) monthly activity came in 39.1% below December 2021.

ON BAYSTREET

The TSX Venture Exchange gained 5.23 points, to 615.11, for a gain on the week of 33 points, or 5.7%

ON WALLSTREET

Markets are shuttered in the States Monday for Martin Luther King Day.