MONEY IN BRIEF

Currencies

These are indicative wholesale rates for foreign currency provided by the Bank of Canada on Tuesday. 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 0.9895 0.3823 0.1987 1.5566 0.1611 0.01960 0.000092 0.01170 0.3199 0.06762 0.9173 0.1598 0.3853 0.02181 0.3360 0.9528 0.10540 0.001162 0.1568 1.3489 0.04300 0.04001 0.3311 1.7492 1.2600 0.000055

Financial highlights

Highlights at the close Tuesday at world financial market trading. Stocks:

S&P/TSX Composite Index – 15,216.47, down 25.41 points Dow – 24,640.45, up 39.18 points S&P 500 – 2,662.94, up 6.94 points

Nasdaq – 7,013.51, up 31.55 points

Currencies:

Cdn – 79.37 cents US, up 0.02 of a cent

Pound – C$1.7492, up 0.72 of a cent

Euro – C$1.5566, up 1.01 cents Euro – US$1.2354, up 0.83 of a cent

Oil futures:

US$59.19, down 10 cents (March contract)

Gold futures:

US$1,330.40 per oz., up $4.00 (April contract)

Canadian Fine Silver Handy and Harman:

$21.712 oz., up 1.9 cents $698.04 kg., up 61 cents

The markets today

TORONTO (CP) — Losses in the energy sector led Canada’s main stock index modestly lower on Tuesday as U.S. markets drifted higher for the third day in a row. The S&P/TSX composite index was down 25.41 points to 15,216.47, in a largely broadbased decline.

One notable bright spot on the commodity-heavy TSX was the base metals sector, which was up more than two per cent on the day. “Base metal stocks are definitely leading the market much stronger,” said Colum McKinley, vice-president and portfolio manager of Canadian equities at CIBC Asset Management Inc. “We saw a weaker U.S. dollar so that’s helping support copper prices and zinc prices.”

South of the border, Wall Street indexes continued turning higher.

In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average was up 39.18 points to 24,640.45. The S&P 500 index was up 6.94 points to 2,662.94 and the Nasdaq composite index was up 31.55 points to 7,013.51.

Today’s market calm follows harrowing levels of market volatility over the last two weeks when the TSX fell more than five per cent and Wall Street indexes entered “correction” territory. Last week the Dow twice fell 1,000 points in a day, sometimes gaining or losing hundreds of points in only a few minutes.

Given the heightened market sentiment, McKinley said investors will be intensely focused on the U.S. Labor Department today when it issues its monthly report on consumer prices.