Canada's main stock index posted a small loss Thursday as weakness in telecom and utilities stocks weighed on the market, while U.S. markets made gains.

The S&P/TSX Composite Index was down 49.54 points, or 0.24 per cent, at 20,919.64.

In New York, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 48.97 points at 38,726.33. The S&P 500 Index was up 2.85 points at 4,997.91, while the Nasdaq Composite was up 37.07 points at 15,793.71.

The Canadian dollar traded for 74.26 cents U.S. compared with 74.24 cents U.S. on Wednesday.

The March crude contract was up US$2.36 at US$76.22 per barrel and the March natural gas contract was down five cents at US$1.92 per mm/BTU.

The April gold contract was down US$3.80 at US$2,047.90 an ounce and the March copper contract was down three cents at US$3.70 a pound.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 8, 2024.