Yahoo Finance 
TSX Stays Negative as Pot Gains, Resources Struggle
Stocks in Toronto edged lower in morning trading on Tuesday as gold miners weighed down heavyweight resource stocks amid a commodity price retreat, even as marijuana producers extended a recent rally.
The S&P/TSX Composite Index had dipped 32.92 points to move into Tuesday’s noon hour at 16,338.99
The Canadian dollar gained 0.12 cents to 80.49 cents U.S.
The most influential weights included Barrick Gold, which fell 4.2% to $18.67, and diversified miner Teck Resources, down 3.8% at $37.18.
Among other gold concerns, Goldcorp declined 3.2% to $18.49 after lowering its estimate for all-in sustaining costs.
On the positive side of the ledger, marijuana stocks extend Monday's gains, with Aurora Cannabis up 9.5% to $12.59, Canopy Growth Corp up 4.1% to $38 and Aphria Inc adding 5.5% to $22.90.
BlackBerry also added to Monday's gains, advancing 1.2% to $17.69, after launching new cybersecurity software which identifies vulnerabilities in programs used in self-driving cars.
Yellow Pages Ltd advanced 1.2% to $8.31 after the company once well known for its thick-print directories said it would fire about 500 employees to cut costs and turn around its digital advertising platform.
SSR Mining Inc jumped 8.6% to $11.1 after the precious metal miner reported fourth-quarter earnings and provided guidance for 2018.
ON BAYSTREET
The TSX Venture Exchange gained 1.08 points to 897.27
Seven of the 12 TSX subgroups gained ground as information technology perked 1.4%, while health-care moved up 0.9% and real-estate gathered 0.4%.
The five laggards were weighed most by gold, retreating 2.1%, materials, off 1.8%, and energy, down 0.8%.
ON WALLSTREET
U.S. stocks traded sharply higher as investors chased a market breaking out on better-than-expected earnings and rising economic optimism under President Donald Trump.
The Dow Jones Industrials came off its highs of the morning, but remained firmly positive, gaining 166.55 points to 25,969.74, boosted by gains in UnitedHealth, Boeing and Merck.
Earlier this morning, the blue-chip crossed the 26,000-point threshold, thus taking just 12 calendar days to move from 25,000 to 26,000, making it the fastest 1,000 move on record for the index. It first traded above 25,000 on Jan. 4.
The S&P 500 acquired 9.28 points to 2,795.52, having traded above 2,800 for the first time. Real-estate and health-care issues were the best-performing sectors in the index.
The NASDAQ composite index climbed 35.05 points to 7,296.11, and also hit a record.
UnitedHealth posted better-than-expected earnings and sales, sending the stock up 2.4%. Citigroup reported adjusted earnings that surpassed estimates, while revenue came in line with expectations. Citigroup shares climbed 0.6%.
Elsewhere, Merck shares jumped more than 6% after announcing positive Phase 3 results for its Keytruda drug, which is aimed at treating cancer.
Equities are off to a strong start for the year, with the Dow, S&P 500 and NASDAQ composite jumping at least 4.2% in 2018. A stronger U.S. economy, tax reform, and optimism maid the corporate earnings season have been key catalysts for the market.
Markets were closed in the United States Monday for Martin Luther King Day.
Earnings season is off to a strong start thus far. Of the S&P 500 companies that had reported as of Friday, 69% have surpassed earnings-per-share estimates while 85% have beaten expectations on the top line
Prices for the benchmark 10-year Treasury note settled back, upping yields back to Friday’s 2.55%. Treasury prices and yields move in opposite directions.
Oil prices dropped 43 cents a barrel to $63.87 U.S.
Gold prices faded 70 cents to $1,334.20 U.S. an ounce.
