OTTAWA: Canada stocks were lower after the close on Wednesday, as losses in the Energy, Telecoms and Healthcare sectors led shares lower. At the close in Toronto, the S&P/TSX Composite declined 0.60%. The best performers of the session on the S&P/TSX Composite were Asanko Gold Inc (TO:AKG), which rose 8.17% or 0.170 points to trade at 2.250 at the close. Meanwhile, Canopy Growth Corp (TO:WEED) added 4.99% or 0.340 points to end at 7.160 and Cott Corporation (TO:BCB) was up 4.84% or 0.91 points to 19.71 in late trade. The worst performers of the session were MEG Energy Corp (TO:MEG), which fell 9.36% or 0.47 points to trade at 4.55 at the close. Baytex Energy Corp (TO:BTE) declined 8.72% or 0.34 points to end at 3.56 and Encana Corporation (TO:ECA) was down 7.85% or 1.04 points to 12.21.
Falling stocks outnumbered advancing ones on the Toronto Stock Exchange by 692 to 434 and 128 ended unchanged. Shares in MEG Energy Corp (TO:MEG) fell to 52-week lows; down 9.36% or 0.47 to 4.55. Shares in Baytex Energy Corp (TO:BTE) fell to 52-week lows; losing 8.72% or 0.34 to 3.56. The S&P/TSX 60 VIX, which measures the implied volatility of S&P/TSX Composite options, was up 3.79% to 13.16. Gold Futures for August delivery was down 0.59% or 7.71 to $1289.79 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in July fell 5.04% or 2.43 to hit $45.76 a barrel, while the August Brent oil contract fell 3.97% or 1.99 to trade at $48.13 a barrel. CAD/USD was down 0.43% to 0.7400, while CAD/EUR fell 0.30% to 0.6571. The US Dollar Index Futures was up 0.16% at 96.65.
