Toronto stocks ended flat on Friday despite stronger-than-expected domestic jobs data as investors focused more on weak US labour data which caused declines in equities south of the border.
The Toronto Stock Exchange's S&P/TSX composite index eased 10.49 points, or 0.12 percent, to end at 8,814.89 on volume of 250 million shares worth C$2.75 billion. The index gained 0.78 percent on the week.
Canadian equity markets will be closed on Monday to mark the Thanksgiving holiday.
The market shrugged aside a strong September labour report showing the economy added twice as many jobs as expected at 43,200 jobs and fixed on weaker-than-expected US employment figures that raised concerns about economic strength.
The Labour Department said only 96,000 jobs were added to US nonfarm payrolls in September, sharply below forecasts of a 148,000 gain.
The news weighed on US indices which were also hampered by another record push by oil prices. Crude climbed to over $53 a barrel on supply worries.
"It's just too much for us to rally when the US markets are under pressure," said Katherine Beattie, an independent analyst. "I think the fact that we closed flat is encouraging."
Weakness in Toronto's tech sector, which sagged in tandem with the Nasdaq, did little to help the market while the recently high-flying energy sector also retreated.
Six of the TSX's 10 subgroups finished down, led by techs which fell 2.01 percent. The industrials, telecoms and health-care sectors all retreated.
Among techs, Sierra Wireless fell C$1.10, or 4.85 percent, to C$21.56, Celestica Inc was down 60 Canadian cents, or 3.55 percent, at C$16.29 and Nortel Networks retreated 13 Canadian cents, or 2.94 percent, to C$4.29.
In the energy group, which was down 0.33 percent, Talisman Energy was down 54 Canadian cents, or 1.63 percent, at C$32.55 and Petro-Canada lost 73 Canadian cents, or 1.06 percent, to C$67.92.
"Even though crude hit yet another high today, we saw some money leaving the energy group and I think that can largely be attributed to profit-taking more than anything else," said Elvis Picardo, chief market strategist at Global Securities.
On the upside, the materials group rose 0.61 percent, as gold-mining stocks added 1.63 percent on a rally in bullion prices. The precious metal hit new six-month peaks in New York after the US jobs data undercut the greenback.
Financials, utilities and consumer staples rounded out the gainers.
Market momentum was narrowly positive with 671 advancers and 656 decliners.
The blue-chip S&P/TSX 60 index dipped 0.15 percent to 490.42.
In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average closed down 69.76 points, or 0.69 percent, at 10,055.64 and the tech-rich Nasdaq Composite Index fell 28.48 points, or 1.46 percent, at 1,920.04.
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