MONEY IN BRIEF

Currencies

These are indicative wholesale rates for foreign currency provided by the Bank of Canada on Wednesday. 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 0.9805 0.3461 0.2015 1.5419 0.1696 0.01940 0.000094 0.01206 0.3302 0.06628 0.9052 0.1630 0.4068 0.02108 0.3548 0.9749 0.09638 0.001186 0.1489 1.3368 0.04362 0.04027 0.2880 1.7493 1.3307 0.000058

Financial highlights

Highlights at the close Wednesday at world financial market trading.

Stocks:

S&P/TSX Composite Index – 16,231.25, down 48.84 points Dow – 24,117.59, down 165.52 points

S&P 500 – 2,699.63, down 23.43 points

Nasdaq – 7,445.09, down 116.54 points

Currencies:

Cdn – 75.15 cents US, unchanged Pound – C$1.7493, down 1.14 cents

Euro – C$1.5419, down 0.95 of a cent

Euro – US$1.1587, down 0.72 of a cent

Oil futures:

US$72.76, up $2.23 (August contract)

Gold futures:

US$1,256.10 per oz., down $3.80 (August contract)

Canadian Fine Silver Handy and Harman:

$22.402 oz., down 16.3 cents $720.22 kg., down $5.24

The markets today

TORONTO (CP) — Canada’s main stock index ended down after gains in energy stocks weren’t enough to counter broad losses elsewhere, while U.S. markets continued to slide amid lingering tensions with America’s trading partners. The energy sector saw gains as oil prices leapt on a combination of supply disruptions and stockpile dips, said Kathryn Del Greco, vice president and investment advisor at TD Wealth. “Predominantly the story is energy, in the Canadian marketplace today especially, with crude oil hitting 72 and a half, getting up to old highs we haven’t seen in quite some time.” Disruptions in Libya, Syncrude’s oilsands operation, as well as a drop in U.S. stockpiles and general geopolitical uncertainty are helping push up oil prices, said Del Greco.

“Crude oil as a commodity trades very much off factors such as inventory and any sense of supply disruptions and any geopolitical risks.”

The August crude contract closed up $2.23 at US$72.76 per barrel, adding to the $2.45 it gained a day earlier and helping the S&P/ TSX capped energy index close up 1.53 per cent.

The overall S&P/TSX composite index ended down 48.84 points at 16,231.25 as the cannabisheavy health-care index fell 4.66 per cent, while financial, mining and information technology stocks were also down.

In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average closed down 165.52 points at 24,117.59.