S&P/TSX composite down Friday morning, U.S. stock markets mixed

TORONTO — Losses in the energy, financial and utilities sectors helped lead Canada’s main stock index lower in late-morning trading on Friday, while U.S. stock markets were mixed.

The S&P/TSX composite index was down 81.42 points at 18,793.89.

In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average was down 71.23 points at 32,713.07. The S&P 500 index was up 15.63 points at 4,152.86, while the Nasdaq composite was up 173.48 points at 12,769.08.

The Canadian dollar traded for 72.17 cents US compared with 72.33 cents US on Thursday.

The December crude oil contract was up 86 cents at US$84.07 per barrel and the December natural gas contract was up nine cents at US$3.57 per mmBTU.

The December gold contract was down US$6.70 at US$1,990.70 an ounce and the December copper contract was up six cents at US$3.65 a pound.