Canadian Market Modestly Lower In Cautious Trade

(RTTNews) - Canadian stocks slipped after a weak start Friday morning as the euphoria over a jumbo interest rate cut by the Federal Reserve subsided a bit. Industrials, energy and consumer discretionary stocks are among the major losers.

Investors are digesting the data on Canadian retail sales and producer & raw materials prices.

The benchmark S&P/TSX Composite Index is down 33.43 points or 0.14% at 23,832.84 nearly half an hour past noon.

Ballard Power Systems (BLDP.TO), down 4.6%, is the biggest loser in the industrials sector. Tfi International (TFII.TO), Air Canada (AC.TO), Richelieu Hardware (RCH.TO), Bomardier Inc (BBD.B.TO), Stantec (STN.TO), Canadian National Railway (CNR.TO), Badger Infrastructure (BDGI.TO), Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CP.TO) and Mullen Group (MTL.TO) are down 1.7 to 2.5%.

Energy stocks Tourmaline Oil Corporation (TOU.TO), Suncor Energy (SU.TO), Arc Resources (ARX.TO), Parex Resources (PXT.TO), Nuvista Energy (NVA.TO), Canadian Natural Resources (CNQ.TO) and International Petroleum Corp (IPCO.TO) are lower by 1 to 2%.

Consumer discretionary stocks Spin Master Corp (TOY.TO), Magna International (MG.TO) and Restaurant Brands International (QSR.TO) are down 2.5%, 1.5% and 1.7%, respectively.

Among the gainers, Cameco Corporation (CCO.TO) is climbing 8.4%. Cogeco Inc (CGO.TO) is up 2.75%.

Docebo Inc (DCBO.TO), Agnico Eagle Mines (AEM.TO), Newmont Corporation (NGT.TO), TC Energy Corporation (TRP.TO) and Wheaton Precious Metals (WPM.TO) are gaining 1 to 2%.

Statistics Canada said retail sales in Canada are projected to have jumped by 0.5% from the previous month in August of 2024, according to a flash estimate. This would extend the 0.9% surge in retail turnover from July, which was revised higher from the flash estimate of a 0.6% increase.

Retail Sales in Canada increased 0.9% in July of 2024 over the same month in the previous year. Retail Sales Excluding Autos in Canada increased 0.4% month-over-month in July 2024, slightly higher than 0.3% in June and forecasts of 0.3%

A separate data from Statistics Canada said industrial producer prices in Canada fell by 0.8% over a month in August, compared with market estimates of a 0.3% drop and following a revised 0.1% decline in the prior period.

Industrial producer inflation ticked up by 0.2% in August, easing significantly from an upwardly revised 2.8% increase in the previous month.

The Raw Materials Price Index in Canada slumped by 3.1% month-over-month in August 2024, following a 0.7% increase in the prior and more than an expected 2.5% fall. On an annual basis, raw material prices declined by 2.5% in August, marking the first decrease in six months., after a 4.1% rise in the previous month.