Bay Street Anxious Over U.S. Election -- Canadian Commentary

(RTTNews) - Canadian stocks were flat Tuesday, as stronger gold and health care stocks offset weakness across most other sectors.

Markets on both sides of the border are beginning to price in the prospect of an upset in favor of Donald Trump in next week's U.S. presidential election.

The S&P/TSX Composite Index was down 8.95 points, or 0.06 percent, to 14,778.32.

Valeant Pharmaceuticals International (VRX.TO) jumped 30 percent after the Wall Street Journal said that the beleaguered drug maker is in talks to sell its Salix business for around $10 billion.

However, U.S. prosecutors are focusing on Valeant's former CEO and CFO as they build a fraud case against the company that could yield charges within weeks, Bloomberg reported citing people familiar with the matter.

Blackberry (BB.TO) was flat after it signed a deal with Ford to expand automaker's use of QNX auto technology.

Bombardier (BBD-B.TO) edged up 3.3 percent. The company revealed that Industrial Bank Financial Leasing is the customer that ordered 10 CRJ900 aircraft.

WestJet Airlines (WJA.TO) added 4.4 percent. The company reported third quarter EPS of C$0.97, compared to C$0.82 last year.

In economic news, the Canadian economy expanded 0.2 percent in August, in line with expectations, official data showed.