MONEY IN BRIEF

Currencies

OTTAWA — These are indicative wholesale rates for foreign currency provided by the Bank of Canada on Thursday. Quotations in Canadian funds. Australia dollar 0.9295

Brazil real 0.3528

China renminbi 0.1882

Euro 1.4991

Hong Kong dollar 0.1666

India rupee 0.01776

Indonesia rupiah 0.000086

Japan yen 0.01163

Malaysia ringgit 0.3141

Mexico peso 0.06842

N.Z. dollar 0.856

Norway krone 0.1583

Peruvian new sol 0.3913

Russia rouble 0.01989

Saudi riyal 0.348

Singapore dollar 0.9459

South Africa rand 0.09088

South Korean won 0.001148 Sweden krona 0.1448 Switzerland franc 1.3116 Taiwanese dollar 0.04214 Thailand baht 0.04003

Turkey lira 0.2325

U.K. pound 1.7053

U.S. dollar 1.3057

Vietnam dong 0.000056

The markets today

TORONTO (CP) — North American markets fell again Thursday with Canada’s main stock index posting its ninth down day in October as its value is down seven per cent from its July peak. Concerns about a trade war with China, an incident involving the suspected murder of a Saudi journalist and the lowest crude oil prices in five weeks all coloured the day’s stock performance, especially in the U.S., said Les Stelmach, senior vicepresident and portfolio manager at Franklin Bissett Investment Management.

In Canada, the widening differential in the price of all grades of crude but particularly the Western Canadian Select heavy grade hampered energy stocks.

“It’s kind of a defensive day today,” he said in an interview, pointing to gold, telecommunications and utilities being the only sectors to end in positive territory in Canada. The S&P/TSX composite index closed down 125.77 points to 15,404.13, after hitting a low of 15,380.70 with 269 million shares traded.

Most cannabis stocks again posted losses, on the second day of the drug’s legalization for recreational use.

In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average lost 327.23 points at 25,379.45.

The Canadian dollar traded at an average of 76.59 cents US compared with an average of 76.96 cents US on Wednesday.

The December crude oil contract was down 99 cents at US$68.71 per barrel.