Yahoo Finance TSX edges lower in thin trade as Fed fears return
By John Tilak
TORONTO (Reuters) - Canada's main stock index slipped on Monday in light yet choppy trading as increasing concern the U.S. Federal Reserve might begin to pull back from its easy money policy sooner rather than later weighed on energy and mining stocks.
Those worries were a drag on the price of bullion, sending down shares of gold producers and helping overshadow gains in the industrial and information technology sectors.
Investors pondered positive export data from China and a U.S. non-farm payrolls report that showed on Friday that the world's largest economy added more jobs than expected in October.
With the Remembrance Day holiday in Canada and Veterans Day in the United States, trading volumes were light
"Today's action is extremely muted as a number of markets are closed," said Elvis Picardo, a strategist and vice president of research at Global Securities in Vancouver.
"Canadian investors would do well to stay in the market because it looks like the TSX is trying to make up for lost ground," he said, adding that the resource groups offer good value, despite the recent volatility.
Having gained about 3.6 percent in the last month, the Toronto Stock Exchange's S&P/TSX composite index (.GSPTSE) closed down 19.94 points, or 0.15 percent, at 13,358.39 on Monday.
About 212 million shares changed hands, compared with an average daily volume of about 294 million shares in October, according to market operator TMX Group.
Seven of the 10 main sectors on the index were in the red.
Higher oil prices failed to push up energy stocks, which shed 0.4 percent. Suncor Energy Inc (Toronto:SU.TO - News) slipped 0.3 percent to C$36.76, and Canadian Natural Resources Ltd (Toronto:CNQ.TO - News) dropped 1.6 percent to C$32.51.
Talisman Energy Inc (Toronto:TLM.TO - News), which said on Friday it would sell some natural gas assets, added 0.9 percent, to C$12.53.
Gold-mining shares overall fell slightly. Goldcorp Inc (Toronto:G.TO - News) lost 0.2 percent to C$25.66, and Barrick Gold Corp (Toronto:ABX.TO - News) gave back 0.3 percent to C$19.01.
In other news, a Canadian National Railway Co (Toronto:CNR.TO - News) train derailed in northern Ontario this weekend, and an estimated 40 carloads of grain left the tracks, the Transportation Safety Board of Canada said. Nevertheless, the company's shares gained 0.3 percent to C$117.21.
Sears Canada Inc (Toronto:SCC.TO - News) soared 4.4 percent to C$16.70 after it said it would sell its 50 percent stake in eight Canadian properties for about C$315 million ($300.30 million).
After reporting market-topping quarterly results on Friday, Air Canada (ACb.TO) extended its gains on Monday, jumping 10.2 percent to C$6.60. Several analysts also increased their price targets on the stock.
(Editing by Andre Grenon)
