The S&P/TSX composite index closed down 35.56 points to 16,056.51.

In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average was down 200.23 points at 25,473.23. The S&P 500 index was down 22.52 points at 2,748.93, while the Nasdaq composite was down 84.46 points at 7,421.46.

The Canadian dollar traded at an average of US74.42¢ compared with an average of US74.52¢ on Wednesday.

The April crude contract was up US44¢ US$56.66 per barrel and the April natural gas contract was up US2.5¢ at US$2.87 per mmBTU.

The April gold contract was down US$1.50 at US$1,286.10 an ounce and the May copper contract was down 0.8 of a cent at US$2.91 a pound.