Canada's main stock index slumped to a four-month low on Friday, with natural resource shares leading broad based declines as commodity prices dropped and higher bond yields pressured global equity markets. US crude prices were down 1.1 percent at $65.09 a barrel, while Brent crude lost 2 percent to $68.27.
The energy group retreated 2.5 percent. Suncor Energy slipped 1.8 percent to C$43.81, and Canadian Natural Resources Ltd dropped 1.4 percent to C$41.88. The financials group slipped 1.2 percent. Bank of Nova Scotia gave back 0.9 percent to C$80.01, and Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce lost 1.7 percent to C$119.
The materials group, which includes precious and base metals miners and fertilizer companies, lost 2.8 percent. Barrick Gold Corp slipped 3.7 percent to C$17.04, and Goldcorp Inc fell 2.9 percent to C$17.02. Gold futures fell 1.3 percent to $1,331.34 an ounce. Copper prices declined 0.6 percent to $7,079 a tonne. The Toronto Stock Exchange's S&P/TSX composite index closed down 254.89 points, or 1.61 percent, at 15,606.03, its biggest drop since May. All of the index's 10 main groups were in negative territory.