TSX Shows Red by Noon
The TSX Composite slid 26.96 points to pause for lunch Monday at 22,140.07.
The Canadian dollar fell 0.31 cents to 73.64 cents U.S.
Higher gold prices sent miners such as Iamgold climbing 6.6%, and SSR Mining up 3.2%.
Ballard Power Systems surged 12.7% to the top of the index after the fuel cell maker announced its largest order in history. Ballard shares
On the economic beat, the S&P Global Manufacturing PMI rose to 49.8 in March from 49.7 in February.
ON BAYSTREET
The TSX Venture Exchange gained 5.26 points midday Monday at 568.65.
of the 12 TSX subgroups were pointed downward, weighed most by communications, off 1.2%, health-care, off 0.8%, and consumer discretionary stocks, peeling back 0.6%.
The five gainers were led by gold, up 0.9%, materials, stronger 0.7%, and information technology, jumping 0.3%.
ON WALLSTREET
The Dow Jones Industrial Average dipped Monday to kick off the second quarter, with traders weighing fresh U.S. inflation data amid fears that the market rally could slow down.
The 30-stock index crumbled 272.02 points to 39,535.35.
The S&P 500 removed 18.75 points to 5,235.60.
The NASDAQ lost 26 points to 16,353.40.
The major averages are coming off a winning first quarter. The S&P 500 jumped 10.2% for its best first-quarter performance since 2019, while the Dow added 5.6%. The NASDAQ popped 9.1%.
Markets also wrapped up a winning March and their fifth consecutive positive month, with the S&P leaping 3.1%, and Dow rising 2.1%. The NASDAQ edged up 1.8% for the month.
Ongoing bets on artificial intelligence stocks and tailwinds from Nvidia have continued powering the market higher in the new year after a strong 2023. That comes alongside the expectation for the start of a rate-cutting cycle from the Federal Reserve later this year, with markets pricing in a cut as soon as June.
The personal consumption expenditures price index excluding food and energy, released Friday during the market closure for Good Friday, showed inflation rose 2.8% in February, which is in line with expectations. The inflation gauge closely watched by the Federal Reserve also rose 0.3% from a month ago, the Commerce Department said.
Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell also said Friday that policymakers don’t need to rush an interest rate cut with economic growth still strong and inflation above target.
Prices for the 10-year Treasury moved sharply backward, hiking yields to 4.33% from Thursday’s 4.21%. Treasury prices and yields move in opposite directions.
Oil prices improved $1.08 at $84.25 U.S. a barrel.
Gold prices picked up $21.50 to $2,259.90 U.S. an ounce.
Provided Content: Content provided by Baystreet. The Globe and Mail was not involved, and material was not reviewed prior to publication.
