TORONTO — North American stock markets closed the week with a down day on Friday despite gold prices briefly surpassing US$1,900 per ounce for the first time since 2011.
In Toronto, the S&P/TSX composite index closed down 21.59 points at 15,997.06.
For the week, it was off by 124.42 points, ending a run of three consecutive weekly gains.
“We’re going through earnings season so there are a lot of results out right now and what we’re getting is a mix of numbers,” said Colin Cieszynski, chief market strategist at SIA Wealth Management.
“We’re kind of in the middle of some profit taking, some bargain hunting, some rotation between sectors,” he said.
“It’s a very different kind of market than what we’ve been used to the last couple of years. It’s not one where everything’s going up or everything’s going down. It’s back into being more of a stock picker’s market.”
Materials shone brightest among sectors trading in Toronto as the August gold contract closed up US$7.50 at US$1,897.50 an ounce, tantalizingly close to the record US$1,1120 per ounce set in 2011.
Yamana Gold Inc. stock rose 9.29 per cent, or 72 cents, to $8.47 on Friday after the company hiked its dividend and suggested it could increase its production guidance for 2020.
Wheaton Precious Metals Corp. was up 5.62 per cent, or $3.83, to $71.93 and Lundin Gold Inc. rose 4.36 per cent, or 51 cents, to $12.22.
The September crude contract was up 22 cents at US$41.29 per barrel.
Cieszynski said the market is beginning to accept a stabilized price near US$40 after extreme volatility caused by the pandemic lockdowns of the past few months.
Two oil sands producers who reported earnings earlier this week were among the most active. Suncor Energy Inc. fell 62 cents to $23.13 and Cenovus Energy Inc. rose seven cents to $6.73.
The September natural gas contract was up 3.2 cents at nearly US$1.87 per mmBTU.
Utilities were the worst performing sector on the day, with Brookfield Renewable Partners LP off by $2.26 to $71.04 and TransAlta Corp. down 24 cents to $8.44.
The September copper contract was down 4.6 cents at about US$2.89 a pound.
South of the border, the tech sector weighed down all three major U.S. stock averages for the second day in a row as tensions continued to rise between the world’s two largest economies.
On Friday, China ordered the United States to close its consulate in the western city of Chengdu, in apparent response to the Trump administration ordering Beijing earlier this week to close its consulate in Houston.
In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average was down 182.44 points at 26,469.89.
The S&P 500 index was down 20.03 points at 3,215.63, while the Nasdaq composite was down 98.24 points at 10,363.18.
The Canadian dollar traded for 74.51 US compared with 74.67 on Thursday.
“We could continue to see the market consolidate and trend sideways for the next several weeks as we work our way through earnings reports. That will take us to the latter part of August,” said Cieszynski.
He said he expects political conventions and other news concerning U.S. presidential election campaigns will then start to have greater sway in the markets.
TORONTO – Cineplex Inc. reported a loss in its latest quarter compared with a profit a year ago as it was hit by a fine for deceptive marketing practices imposed by the Competition Tribunal.
The movie theatre company says it lost $24.7 million or 39 cents per diluted share for the quarter ended Sept. 30 compared with a profit of $29.7 million or 40 cents per diluted share a year earlier.
The results in the most recent quarter included a $39.2-million provision related to the Competition Tribunal decision, which Cineplex is appealing.
The Competition Bureau accused the company of misleading theatregoers by not immediately presenting them with the full price of a movie ticket when they purchased seats online, a view the company has rejected.
Revenue for the quarter totalled $395.6 million, down from $414.5 million in the same quarter last year, while theatre attendance totalled 13.3 million for the quarter compared with nearly 15.7 million a year earlier.
Box office revenue per patron in the quarter climbed to $13.19 compared with $12 in the same quarter last year, while concession revenue per patron amounted to $9.85, up from $8.44 a year ago.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 6, 2024.
TORONTO – Restaurant Brands International Inc. reported net income of US$357 million for its third quarter, down from US$364 million in the same quarter last year.
The company, which keeps its books in U.S. dollars, says its profit amounted to 79 cents US per diluted share for the quarter ended Sept. 30 compared with 79 cents US per diluted share a year earlier.
Revenue for the parent company of Tim Hortons, Burger King, Popeyes and Firehouse Subs, totalled US$2.29 billion, up from US$1.84 billion in the same quarter last year.
Consolidated comparable sales were up 0.3 per cent.
On an adjusted basis, Restaurant Brands says it earned 93 cents US per diluted share in its latest quarter, up from an adjusted profit of 90 cents US per diluted share a year earlier.
The average analyst estimate had been for a profit of 95 cents US per share, according to LSEG Data & Analytics.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 5, 2024.
ST. JOHN’S, N.L. – Fortis Inc. reported a third-quarter profit of $420 million, up from $394 million in the same quarter last year.
The electric and gas utility says the profit amounted to 85 cents per share for the quarter ended Sept. 30, up from 81 cents per share a year earlier.
Fortis says the increase was driven by rate base growth across its utilities, and strong earnings in Arizona largely reflecting new customer rates at Tucson Electric Power.
Revenue in the quarter totalled $2.77 billion, up from $2.72 billion in the same quarter last year.
On an adjusted basis, Fortis says it earned 85 cents per share in its latest quarter, up from an adjusted profit of 84 cents per share in the third quarter of 2023.
The average analyst estimate had been for a profit of 82 cents per share, according to LSEG Data & Analytics.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 5, 2024.
