TSX Ends Marginally Down

(RTTNews) - The Canadian stock market ended slightly weak on Thursday after a lackluster session. Cannabis stocks plunged sharply.

Several stocks from materials and consumer discretionary sections too closed weak, although their losses were not any significantly sharp. Energy stocks found some support.

The benchmark S&P/TSX Composite Index ended with a loss of 15.48 points or 0.07% at 21,637.54. The index, which advanced to 21,792.67 in early trades, netting a modest gain in the process, touched a low of 21,560.91 immediately thereafter, before recovering ground and moving along the flat line for the rest of the session.

Cronos Group (CRON.TO), Tilray Inc (TLRY.TO) and Aurora Cannabis (ACB.TO) lost 11.4 to 12.4%. Organigram Holdings (OGI.TO) and Canopy Growth Corp (WEED.TO) both plunged more than 9%.

Energy stocks Enerplus Corp (ERF.TO), Cenovus Energy (CVE.TO), Canadian Natural Resources (CNQ.TO) and Parex Resources (PXT.TO) gained 1.5 to 3.2%.

Hut 8 Mining Corp (HUT.TO) declined 7.6%. Manulife Financial Corporation (MFC.TO), Kinross Gold Corp (K.TO), Barrick Gold Corporation (ABX.TO) and B2Gold Corp (BTO.TO) lost 2 to 2.5%.

Bombardier Inc (BBD.B.TO), Dye & Durham (DND.TO), Shopify Inc (SHOP.TO), Tecsys Inc (TCS.TO), Nutrien (NTR.TO), BRP Inc (DOO.TO), West Fraser Timber (WFG.TO), Thomson Reuters (TRI.TO), Loblaw Co (L.TO) and Kinaxis Inc (KXS.TO) gained 1 to 3%.

A report from Automatic Data Processing Inc showed private businesses in Canada hired 65,800 workers in October, compared to 9600 in September.