TSX posts weekly decline as interest-rate sensitive stocks fall

By Fergal Smith

(Reuters) -Canada's main stock index fell for a fourth straight day on Friday as the threat of higher borrowing pressured interest-rate sensitive stocks during a seasonally-weak period for the market.

The Toronto Stock Exchange's S&P/TSX composite index ended down 57.43 points, or 0.3%, at 20,074.65. For the week, it lost 2.3%.

"We had a week of a general global market pullback and of course it's not unusual to get that in September," said Colin Cieszynski, chief market strategist at SIA Wealth Management. "September is the weakest and most volatile month of the year for stocks on a historical basis."

Canada's economy added almost three times the number of jobs expected in August and wage growth accelerated, a sign of underlying economic strength that kept alive prospects of further interest rate hikes by the Bank of Canada.

BoC Governor Tiff Macklem said on Thursday that interest rates may not be high enough to bring inflation down to their intended target, one day after the central bank left its benchmark rate unchanged at a 22-year high of 5%.

The industrials sector fell 0.7% and technology was down 1.4%.

"Energy is helping but other things are dragging," Cieszynski said. "Interest(-rate) sensitives are struggling and continue to do so."

Shares of First Quantum Minerals Ltd fell 2.1% as the union representing workers at the company's Panama copper mine threatened to go on strike.

Energy was down 0.1% but has climbed about 25% since June. The price of oil settled 0.7% higher at $87.51 a barrel, with investors choosing to focus on tighter supply despite broader macroeconomic uncertainty.

Oilfield services firm Precision Drilling Corp was a bright stock. Its shares gained 1.9% after a number of brokerages raised their price targets on the stock.

(Reporting by Fergal Smith in Toronto and Siddarth S in Bengaluru; Editing by Tasim Zahid and Josie Kao)