Canada's main stock index ended down more than 1.1 per cent in broad-based declines on continued economic growth concerns, while U.S. stock markets also fell.

The S&P/TSX Composite Index closed down 207.08 points at 18,441.84.

In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average ended down 458.13 points at 29,225.61. The S&P 500 index was down 78.57 points at 3,640.47, while the Nasdaq composite was down 314.13 points at 10,737.51.

The Canadian dollar traded for 72.96 cents US compared with 73.21 cents US on Wednesday.

The November crude contract was down 92 cents at US$81.23 per barrel and the November natural gas contract was down eight cents at US$6.87 per mmBTU.

The December gold contract was down US$1.40 at US$1,668.60 an ounce and the December copper contract was up six cents at US$3.42 a pound.