Source: The Canadian Press

The Toronto stock market closed lower for a fifth straight session Monday, with investor buying sentiment muted by reports that Portugal is facing mounting pressure to accept a bailout as the country’s borrowing costs surged.

The S&P/TSX composite index dropped 27.18 points to 13,245.12, while the TSX Venture Exchange gained 8.01 points to 2,233.4.

The Canadian dollar lost ground as traders bought into to the perceived safe haven of the U.S. currency despite rising oil prices. The loonie declined 0.15 of a cent to 100.68 cents US.

German newspaper Der Spiegel reported that France and Germany were pressing Portugal to tap a European rescue fund to keep the sovereign debt crisis from spreading to countries with much larger economies, such as Spain. Portugal denies it needs to do so.

At the same time, the yield on Portugal’s 10-year bonds rose nearly half a percentage point to 7.14%. That’s unsustainable in the medium-term and comes ahead of an auction of 1.25 billion euros in three-year and nine-year bonds on Wednesday.

Analysts said that while Portugal’s latest problems aren’t entirely unexpected, it does present an opportunity to take some profits ahead of the start of the fourth-quarter earnings season reports.

“It’s not like it’s a big surprise to a lot of people. It’s like OK, it’s back in the forefront again (and people say) maybe I should just sit on the sidelines or take some money off the table,” said Sadiq Adatia, chief investment officer for Russell Investments Canada Ltd.

All sectors save gold were lower, led by declines in the mining sector in the wake of news of slowing copper imports by China.

The base metals sector was down 1% as the March copper contract on the New York Mercantile Exchange slipped two cents to US$4.26 a pound amid data showing that copper imports by China, the world’s biggest consumer, slipped two% in December after surging 29% in November. Teck Resources (TSX:TCK.B) fell $1.45 to $60.50 and Quadra FNX Mining (TSX:QUX) was down 26 cents at $15.98.

Other reports showed Chinese exports expanded 17.9% in December, producing a US$13.1 billion trade surplus, but growth was down from November’s 34.9% surge.

There was also some major merger and acquisition activity to kick off the trading week.

HudBay Minerals Inc. (TSX:HBM) said it had reached an agreement to acquire Norsemont Mining Inc. (TSX:NOM) in a cash-and-share transaction valued at $520 million. The purchase will give the Canadian base metals miner full ownership of the Constancia copper project in southern Peru.

HudBay said the acquisition was expected to help boost its copper production by about 145% between 2011 and 2016 and its shares declined 55 cents to $16.21. Norsemont shares gained 22 cents to $4.49.

Bullion prices rose after losing ground last week as strong economic data pushed the American dollar higher. On Monday, the February gold contract in New York closed up $5.80 to US$1,374.70 an ounce. Agnico Eagle Mines (TSX:AEM) was up $1.52 at C$71.32 while Alamos Gold (TSX:ARZ) advanced six cents to $6.81.

Oil prices rose despite the higher greenback after a pipeline leak cut Alaskan crude output.

The February crude contract on the New York Mercantile Exchange gained $1.22 to US$89.25 a barrel after the 1,300-kilometre trans-Alaska pipeline was shut Saturday after a leak was discovered at a North Slope pump station, said Alyeska Pipeline Service Co., which manages the line. North Slope production was reduced to 5% of the 630,000 to 650,000 barrels that the pipeline normally carries.

Alyeska Pipeline said cleanup crews had contained the leak but the company didn’t know when pipeline operations would restart.

The TSX energy sector was off slightly and Imperial Oil (TSX:IMO) declining 43 cents to C$39.33.

Canadian Natural Resources (TSX:CNQ) gained $1 to $41.60. The stock lost about 5% Friday in the wake of a fire at its main oilsands project in Alberta that halted production, but regained some ground Monday after the company said it was possible its fire-damaged oilsands upgrader might be able to run at half capacity while being repaired.

European debt worries also pushed the TSX financial sector down 0.54% with Scotiabank (TSX:BNS) off 33 cents at $55.92, while Manulife Financial (TSX:MFC) lost 18 cents to $17.45.

The TSX has yet to rack up a positive session in 2011. The index lost 1.27% last week as a stronger American currency weighted on commodity prices.

New York markets were mainly lower as investors also look ahead to the kickoff of the American fourth-quarter earnings season. Aluminum giant Alcoa Inc. reported after the market close and delivered quarterly earnings of 21 cents per share versus the 19 cents that analysts expected amid higher prices and demand.

Revenue came in at US$5.65 billion, below estimates of US$5.71 billion.

The Dow Jones industrial average fell 37.31 points to 11,637.45.

The Nasdaq composite index gained 4.63 points to 2,707.8 while the S&P 500 index declined 1.75 points to 1,269.75.

In other corporate news, Duke Energy Corp. (NYSE:DUK) is buying Progress Energy Inc. for more than US$13 billion in stock in a deal that would create one of the largest utilities in the United States.

Nunavut Iron Ore Acquisition Inc. tweaked its offer for Baffinland Iron Mines Corp. (TSX:BIM) by adding an exchange right for each common share. But it is maintaining its cash offer at $1.45 per share and extended its deadline for the offer until Jan. 25. Baffinland shares added two cents to $1.44.

Shares in Sprott Inc. (TSX:SII) rose 60 cents to $8.58 after the investment management company declared a special dividend of 60 cents per common share for the year ended Dec. 31, 2010, and said it expected a second payment in the near future.

Pacific Rubiales Energy Corp. (TSX:PRE) said its production volume at the end of 2010 was 8% below the company’s projections as a result of transportation issues that are being resolved. The company also announced it has a 2011 capital budget of US$1.12 billion, which will be used to boost production from its current assets and accelerate addition of new reserves. Its shares slipped $1.33 to $31.47.

IE