TORONTO -- North American stock markets finished the day barely changed, as investors seemed to take a breather amid a positive news week.
Toronto's S&P/TSX composite index eased back 9.62 points to 13,494.36, weighed down by pressure from the materials and mining sectors.
On U.S. markets, the Dow Jones industrial average lost 31.57 points to 17,685.09, while the broader S&P 500 composite index faded 4.21 points to 2,059.74. The Nasdaq composite was flat, up 0.56 of a point at 4,869.85.
The Canadian dollar dipped a day after hitting its highest level of the year. The loonie closed 0.13 of a U.S. cent lower at 77 cents US despite a report by Statistics Canada that the Canadian economy grew more than expected in January.
In commodities, the May crude oil contract rose two cents to US$38.34 a barrel and May natural gas slipped four cents to US$1.96 per mmBTU.
The June gold contract gained $7 to US$1,235.60 an ounce, while May copper was down a penny at US$2.18 a pound.
