Roger Biduk; Commodities Hurting Bay Street at Midday

Roger Biduk writes:

Toronto's main stock index was down more than 200 points, hitting its lowest level since Dec 31, on Monday as lower prices for key Canadian commodities such as oil and gold pulled the resource-heavy index down.
The Toronto Stock Exchange's S&P/TSX composite index was recently down 202.45 points, or 2.23 percent, at 8,882.73. Earlier, it had fallen as low as 8,824.25.
The TSX Venture Composite Index (^SPCDNX) was down 28.77 or 3.17% to 880.13.

The slide extends last week's selloff, which saw the market finish the week 1.6 percent lower, a drop that was attributed largely to falling oil prices.
The materials group buckled as prices for gold and other precious metals slid.
Eight of the TSX's 10 sectors were down.

Nagging concerns that a global slowdown will crimp prices for oil shook the energy sector with a 3 percent skid. Oil prices were down more than $2 to below $39 a barrel due to growing evidence that recession is reducing global energy consumption. The price of oil has shed more than $100 from a record peak of above $147 a barrel last July.
Shares of Canadian Natural Resources (CNQ) were down 3.7 percent at C$48.84, while Suncor Energy (SU) shares fell 4 percent to C$26.74.
Toronto's energy sector accounts for about 22 percent of the overall index, so any significant moves in oil prices can often dictate the direction of the market.

The materials group, home to gold mining shares, suffered the biggest drop, down 5.6 percent,
Gold prices were 3.5 percent lower as the U.S. dollar rallied against the euro on expectations for an interest rate cut in the euro zone later this week.
That was enough to convince jittery investors to unload shares of gold miners and most other stocks as they had less of an appetite for riskier assets ahead of fourth-quarter earnings reports that could spotlight further deterioration in the economy.
Barrick Gold (ABX) shares were 4 percent lower at C$37.63, while Goldcorp (G) sank 5 percent to C$30.70.

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