Source: The Canadian Press

The Toronto stock market closed sharply lower Wednesday as copper prices retreated from record levels while investors considered a mixed bag of U.S. earnings reports.

The S&P/TSX composite index dropped 120.16 points to 13,439.04 while the TSX Venture Exchange declined 7.49 points to 2,285.02.

The Canadian dollar also lost early momentum against the American currency as oil and copper prices declined, down 0.27 of a cent at 100.45 cents US as new data showed a surprising decline in the manufacturing sector late last year.

Statistics Canada reported that manufacturing sales declined 0.8% in November to $44.9 billion, led by decreases in the motor vehicle and motor vehicle parts industries.

Economists had expected an increase of 0.5%.

“This comes on the heels of a very strong October number, which was up 0.7% (and) it’s not unusual to see these things bounce up and down month to month,” said Robert Gorman, chief portfolio strategist at TD Waterhouse, adding that recent data bodes well for December.

“You had plus 66,000 jobs created (in manufacturing in December) so I would think the two aren’t necessarily tied at the hip but if you have that much hiring in manufacturing, it’s likely that signals an increase in December,” Gorman added.

The base metals sector led decliners, down 2.09% as the March copper contract in New York was six cents lower at US$4.37 a pound, well off session highs of US$4.47. Rumours that China’s inflation is down and that its economic growth numbers have rebounded had earlier sent copper to a record intraday high of US$9,755.50 per tonne in London.

“The unusual leaking of data out of China is stating that inflation rates will drop to 4.6% from 5.1%,” said Bob Tebbutt, vice-president at Peregrine Financial Canada.

“As well, the leaks are stating that the GDP will have increased to 10.3% when it had thought that a rise to 10.2% was in the cards. This news, if true, shows that China has been able to maintain growth and reduce inflation at the same time.”

Quadra FNX Minerals (TSX:QUX) was down 60 cents at C$16.74.

Teck Resources (TSX:TCK.B) lost $1.48 to $62.36 after it said Wednesday that it expects coal sales to range from five million to 5.5 million tonnes in the first quarter, which compares with 5.25 million tonnes in the same period a year earlier.

It said that sales were impacted by poor weather conditions in southeast British Columbia and a mechanical failure at Vancouver-based Westshore Terminals (TSX:WTE.UN) that is expected to reduce Westshore’s coal-handling capacity for about two weeks.

The energy sector was down 1.16% as the February crude contract on the New York Mercantile Exchange backed off 52 cents to US$90.86 a barrel amid another reminder of the slow pace of the U.S. economic recovery.

The U.S. Commerce Department reported just 587,600 housing starts in 2010, the second-lowest number of homes started since 1959. That compares with about a million new units a year when the American economy is healthy.

Suncor Energy (TSX:SU) stepped down 92 cents to C$37.87 while Talisman Energy (TSX:TLM) declined 90 cents to $22.10.

The gold sector was also lower even as the February gold contract on the Nymex gained $2 to US$1,370.20 an ounce. Barrick Gold Corp. (TSX:ABX) faded 28 cents to C$47.53 while Kinross Gold Corp. (TSX:K) improved by 18 cents to $16.88.

The TSX financials sector also moved lower after investors took in earnings from financial sector heavyweights Goldman Sachs and Wells Fargo.

Scotiabank (TSX:BNS) dropped 47 cents to $56.37 while CIBC (TSX:CM) declined 89 cents to $76.50.

Wells Fargo met earnings expectations as it reported fourth-quarter profit of US$3.4 billion, or 61 cents a share, compared with earnings of US$2.8 billion, or eight cents a share a year ago. The bank said revenue declined to US$21.5 billion from US$22.7 billion. Its shares dropped 2% to US$31.81.

Goldman Sachs also matched analysts’ estimates as fourth-quarter net income fell to US$2.39 billion, or US$3.79 a share, down from US$4.95 billion, or US$8.20, a year ago. Its shares fell 4.69% to US$166.49.

Gorman said he believes the investment bank should have a solid year as merger and acquisition activity takes off. “They make a lot of money on M&A advisory fees,” he said. “You have the stars aligning very nicely for heightened M&A activity.”

The Dow Jones industrials moved 12.64 points lower to 11,825.29.

The Nasdaq composite index lost 40.49 points to 2,725.36 while the S&P 500 index was down 13.1 points at 1,281.92.

Apple shares lost early momentum, losing 0.53% to US$338.84 after results released after the market close Tuesday showed the company’s first-quarter net income jumped 78% from the prior year. Apple sold 7.3 million iPad tablet computers — a million more than analysts expected.

IBM also surprised, with net income of US$5.26 billion, or US$4.24 per share, topping analysts’ projections for US$4.08 per share. Its shares rose 3.35% to US$155.69.

In other corporate news, Loblaw Co. (TSX:L) clothing label Joe Fresh says it plans to open four new stand-alone stores in Canada this spring. Three of those stores will be in the Toronto area, and one will be outside of Calgary. Loblaw shares dipped 67 cents to $38.90.