By MarketsFarm
WINNIPEG, Dec. 20 (MarketsFarm) – The Canadian dollar was lower at market close on Friday, following a report on Canadian retail sales.
The loonie finished the day at US$0.7596 or US$1=C$1.3164, which compares with Thursday’s close of US$0.7621 or C$1.3122.
Statistics Canada reported today that retail sales in October fell 1.2 per cent, which was the largest monthly decline in 2019. Trade expectations had been for sales to have increased 0.5 per cent.
The TSX/S&P Composite Index finished higher on Friday by 54.89 to close at 17,118.93 points, on gains in the financial and industrial sectors.
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Benchmark oil prices were lower on Friday, due to selling ahead of Christmas and New Year’s.
Brent crude oil lost 53 cents to close at US$66.01 per barrel, and West Texas Intermediate (WTI) declined 86 cents at US$60.32 per barrel. Western Canadian Select was down 55 cents to close at US$38.59 per barrel.
Canadian crude-by-rail exports dropped by 15.5 per cent in October compared to September, according to the Canada Energy Regulator. Rail shipments of crude oil topped 270,000 barrels per day in October, well below the 319,600 BPD in September.
Gold was down 83 cents on Friday to close at US$1,477.98 per ounce.
Canada’s agricultural sector fared as follows:
Buhler Industries unchanged at $ 3.60
Linamar Corp. up $ 0.77 at $ 49.77
Maple Leaf Foods up $ 0.06 at $ 25.59
Nutrien Ltd. up $ 0.79 at $ 64.21
Rocky Mountain Dealerships Inc. up $ 0.02 at $ 6.33
(All figures are in Canadian dollars.)
