Canadian Stocks Pulled Down By Commodity Price Slide -- Canadian Commentary

(RTTNews) - Falling commodity prices put pressure on Canadian stocks on Wednesday, sparking the second consecutive day of modest losses.

Selling began at the outset of trading and continued steadily into the mid-morning. After holding steady during the middle of the day, the market saw another dip in the final couple hours of trading.

The S&P/TSX Composite Index finished just off its low of the day, down 114.01 points, or 0.8 percent, to end at 13,379.48.

A decline in crude prices provided the focus for much of the trading session. crude oil for May delivery tumbled $1.66 to $39.79 a barrel. The slide came amid the release of data showing an increase in crude inventories.

Gold prices were also lower on the session. Gold for April delivery tumbled $24.60 to $1,224 an ounce. Strength in the U.S. dollar contributed to the decline in gold.