MONEY IN BRIEF
Currencies
These are indicative wholesale rates for foreign currency provided by the Bank of Canada on Friday. Quotations in Canadian funds.
Australia dollar Brazil real China renminbi Euro
Hong Kong dollar India rupee Indonesia rupiah Japan yen Malaysia ringgit Mexico peso N.Z. dollar Norway krone Peruvian new sol Russia rouble Saudi riyal Singapore dollar South Africa rand South Korean won Sweden krona Switzerland franc Taiwanese dollar Thailand baht Turkey lira
U.K. pound
U.S. dollar Vietnam dong
0.9802 0.3543 0.2030 1.5132 0.1654 0.01914 0.000092 0.01186 0.3259 0.06629 0.8974 0.1592 0.3969 0.02086 0.3459 0.9672 0.10380 0.001203 0.1483 1.3081 0.04332 0.04064 0.2750 1.7281 1.2974 0.000057
Financial highlights
Highlights at the close Friday at world financial market trading. Stocks:
S&P/TSX Composite Index – 16,075.67, down 37.95 points Dow – 24,753.09, down 58.67 points
S&P 500 – 2,721.33, down 6.43 points
Nasdaq – 7,433.85, up 9.42 points Currencies:
Cdn – 77.08 cents US, down 0.49 of a cent
Pound – C$1.7281, up 0.21 of a cent
Euro – C$1.5132, up 0.11 of a cent Euro – US$1.1663, down 0.67 of a cent
Oil futures:
US$67.88, down $2.83
(July contract)
Gold futures:
US$1,303.70 per oz., down 70 cents
(June contract)
Canadian Fine Silver Handy and Harman: daily quote unavailable from source; office closed on Fridays ( Thursday: $22.371 oz., $719.23 kg.)
The markets today
TORONTO (CP) — Canada’s main stock index was in the red in late-morning trading as the price for oil fell below US$70 a barrel and weighed on the key energy sector.
The S&P/TSX composite index was down 28.85 points to 16,084.77, after 90 minutes of trading following reports OPEC countries plan to produce more oil soon.
In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average was down 16.15 points to 24,795.61. The S&P 500 index was down 2.83 points to 2,724.93 and the Nasdaq composite index was up 21.52 points to 7,445.95.
The Canadian dollar was trading at 77.03 cents US, down from an average value of 77.57 cents US on Thursday.
The July crude contract was down US$2.23 to US$68.48 per barrel and the July natural gas contract was down one cent to US$2.96 per mmBTU.
The June gold contract advanced US$14.80 to US$1,304.40 an ounce and the global gold sector performed the best for the day on the S&P/TSX composite index with shares gaining on average 1.74 per cent of their worth. “Whenever there’s fear in the world or uncertainty, people buy gold,” said Allan Small, a senior investment adviser at HollisWealth. The June gold contract was down $1.80 to US$1,302.60 an ounce and the July copper contract was down two cents to US$3.08 a pound.