Source: The Canadian Press

Another round of worry that the Chinese government will be forced to take further steps to curb lending and slow the country’s economy pushed commodity prices and the resource-heavy Toronto stock market sharply lower Friday.

The S&P/TSX composite index tumbled 185.5 points or 1.43% to 12,749.24, while the TSX Venture Exchange declined 32.14 points to 2,007.14.

The Canadian dollar fell heavily against the U.S. dollar as prices for oil and metals retreated, losing 0.9 of a cent to close at 99.1 cents US.

Expectations of more Chinese government measures to tighten credit and slow economic growth have been rising since data released Thursday showed that inflation hit a 25-month high in October.

“There are some rumours there might be another interest rate hike this weekend,” said Linus Yip, a strategist for First Shanghai Securities in Hong Kong.

TSX energy and mining stocks were under selling pressure since any moves to slow the Chinese economy have been negative for the Toronto market as heavy demand from China has helped raise prices for oil and metals.

“People have been asking, with the move that we’ve seen in energy and commodity prices in general, well what are the clouds, the risks,” said Norman Raschkowan, North American strategist at Mackenzie Financial Corp..

“And China acting more aggressively to slow down its economy is clearly one of the risks to that outlook.

While Raschkowan doesn’t think Beijing will move aggressively, he does believe China will try to keep inflation under control.

Speculation of more lending curbs also sent Chinese markets sharply lower, with the Shanghai Composite index plunging 5.2% while the Shenzhen Composite Index for China’s smaller second exchange slumped 6.1%

The TSX energy sector lost 1.75% with the December crude contract on the New York Mercantile Exchange down $2.93 at US$84.88 a barrel. Suncor Energy (TSX:SU) fell $1.13 to C$34.93 and Canadian Natural Resources (TSX:CNQ) lost 79 cents to $39.76.

The base metals sector led decliners, down 2.67% with December copper contract in New York down 13 cents at US$3.89 a pound, a day after the metal reached a record high on the London Metal Exchange of US$8,966 a tonne.

Teck Resources (TSX:TCK.B) shed 74 cents to C$49.61 and Western Coal Corp. (TSX:WTN) fell 49 cents to $7.27.

Gold stocks were also weak as the December bullion contract was down $37.80 at US$1,365.50 an ounce. Goldcorp Inc. (TSX:G) faded 58 cents to C$46.85 and Barrick Gold Corp. (TSX:ABX) fell 82 cents to $51.25.

TSX losses were widespread with the financial sector losing 1.17% as Royal Bank (TSX:RY) lost 68 cents to $53.02 and CIBC (TSX:CM) gave back $1.82 to $75.12.

The consumer discretionary sector was also a weight, down 1.44% with shares in auto parts company Linamar Corp. (TSX:LNR) down about 12% as it said Thursday it earned $21 million in its latest quarter or 32 cents a share, two cents less than analysts expected. Its shares fell $2.47 or 11% to $19.92.

Also casting a shadow over markets was mounting speculation that Ireland — one of Europe’s most financially troubled countries — would not be able to cut public spending and may have to resort to a bailout.

Traders have been dumping Ireland’s sovereign bonds on fears that new European Union rules being discussed will force investors to take on heavier losses in case of a bailout.

The debt crisis eased somewhat Friday after the finance ministers of Germany, France, Italy, Spain and Britain stressed in a joint statement that the EU’s proposed new bailout mechanism “does not apply to any outstanding debt.”

Meanwhile, leaders from the G20 countries have failed to agree on policies about trade and currency manipulation that could stoke protectionism and a trade war.

The group refused to endorse a plan the U.S. presented that would forced China to allow the value of its currency to rise. The U.S. argues that China is keeping its currency artificially low because a weak currency makes exports cheaper.

But the U.S. position has been undermined by the Federal Reserve plan announced last week to buy government debt in an effort to spark growth. That move also weakens the value of the currency, which could eventually help U.S. exports.

The Dow Jones industrial average moved 90.52 points lower to 11,192.58.

The Nasdaq composite index lost 37.31 points to 2,518.21 while the S&P 500 index lost 14.33 points to 1,199.21 despite some good news from the consumer sector.

The University of Michigan’s gauge of consumer sentiment edged up to a better than expected 69.3 from a reading of 67.7 in October. However, the gauge is still well below June’s reading of 76 and pre-recession levels above 80.

Markets finished sharply lower this week with the TSX down 1.36% and the Dow industrials down 2.19%.

In other earnings news, the operator of Wendy’s and Arby’s restaurants lost money in its third quarter, pressured by higher commodity costs and weak performances at both restaurant chains.

Wendy’s/Arby’s lost US$909,000, or break-even on a per-share basis, compared with earnings of US$14.7 million, or three cents per share, a year ago. Revenue fell 5% to US$861.2 million. Both earnings and revenue missed expectations.