Canada’s primary stock indicator was down in late-morning trading, affected by declines in the telecommunications and utility fields, while U.S. stock markets also dropped.
The S&P/TSX composite index was 28.94 points lower at 22,138.09.
In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average dropped 244.01 points to 39,563.36. The S&P 500 index fell by 16.68 points to 5,237.67, while the Nasdaq composite declined by 23.00 points to 16,356.46.
The Canadian dollar's value was 73.68 cents US, compared to 73.80 cents US on Thursday.
The May crude oil contract rose by 81 cents to US$83.98 per barrel and the May natural gas contract increased by seven cents to US$1.83 per mmBTU.
The June gold contract climbed by US$16.60 to US$2,255.00 an ounce and the May copper contract grew by five cents to US$4.06 a pound.
