Two of Canada’s top banks reported big gains Wednesday, but failed to get a rise out of investors. The S&P/TSX composite index closed down 35.24 points at 8,318.98. Trading volume was 212 million shares worth $2.9 billion.

Seven of the TSX index’s 10 main groups fell. The heavily weighted financial index slid 0.68%.

Shares of CIBC fell $2.30, or 3.4%, to $65.05 even though Canada’s number three bank reported a 66% rise in its second-quarter profit and boosted its dividend for the second time in a year.

Bank of Montreal, the number five bank, rose a slim 3¢ to $52.15, despite reporting a higher second-quarter profit that soundly beat analyst expectations.

The strong earnings were dampened by investor concerns over the price of crude oil. It edged slightly lower, down 23¢, but remains above US$40 at US$40.91.

The junior Canadian Venture Exchange also dropped today. It fell 6.63 to 1,595.64.

On Wall Street, the S&P 500 and Nasdaq composite index edged higher as investors bought up technology stocks, but weakness in telecom companies dragged down the blue-chip Dow Jones industrial average.

The tech-heavy Nasdaq rose 11.50 points to 1,976.15, while the broader S&P 500 advanced 1.90 points to 1,114.95.

The Dow industrials slipped 7.73 points to 10,109.89.

Jittery investors had to contend with another warning from U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft that Al-Qaida is set to launch another terrorist attack. Ashcroft says the attack could be linked to an upcoming international economic summit or the political conventions to be held as part of the run-up to fall elections in the U.S.