Canadian Financial Close: C$ Declines To End Week

By Commodity News Service Canada

WINNIPEG, February 19 – The Canadian dollar suffered losses against its US counterpart Friday, following losses in crude oil and disappointing economic data. Retail sales figures that were released Friday morning suggest the Canadian economy may have stalled in the fourth quarter.

The Canadian dollar closed at US$0.7263 or US$1 = C$1.3769.

The Standard & Poor’s/TSX Composite Index corrected lower Friday, snapping its streak of consecutive advances. The energy sector fell 1.7 percent while major pharmaceutical companies also posted big losses.

The S&P/TSX Composite Index declined 117.96 points, or 0.91%, to 12,813.40.

Canada’s agricultural sector performed as follows:
AGT Food and Ingredients—–up $ 0.01 at $ 36.76
Agrium Incorporated———-dn $ 3.14 at $112.95
Buhler Industries————– $ 0.00 at $ 5.03
Maple Leaf Foods————-dn $ 0.21 at $ 23.37
Potash Corp. of Sask———dn $ 1.57 at $ 22.06

(All figures are in Canadian dollars.)