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TSX ends down 311.8 points, or 1.6%, at 19,774.92
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Financials fall 2.2%
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Enghouse Systems shares tumble 24.7%
(Adds investor quotes and details throughout, updates prices)
By Fergal Smith
March 10 (Reuters) - Canada's benchmark stock index fell
on Friday to its lowest closing level in two months, including
sharp losses for financials, after the failure of a high profile
U.S. lender in the technology sector spooked investors.
The Toronto Stock Exchange's S&P/TSX composite index was down 311.8 points, or 1.6%, at 19,774.92, its lowest closing level since Jan. 5, preliminary data showed. For the week, the index was down 3.9%. Wall Street indexes also fell as California banking regulators said they closed SVB Financial Group to protect deposits in the largest bank failure since the financial crisis.
"It is unclear whether SVB is a self-contained issue or the tip of the iceberg in a larger crisis for the financial sector, said Brandon Michael, senior investment analyst at ABC Funds. "So when it comes to the banks the narrative is to sell now and ask questions later." The potential for additional interest rate hikes by central banks added to pressure on equity markets after the release of U.S. and Canadian employment data. The Canadian economy beat expectations by adding 21,800 jobs in February, putting pressure on the Bank of Canada to consider another rate hike after saying it wanted end its year-long tightening campaign.
"The data points to a strong labor market and that stresses the need that the BoC may still need to raise interest rates further," said Angelo Kourkafas, investment strategist at Edward Jones Investments. Financials, the most heavily-weighted sector on the TSX, fell 2.2%, while information technology ended 2.5% lower. Shares of Enghouse Systems tumbled 24.7% after the company's quarterly earnings misses estimates. (Reporting by Fergal Smith; Additional reporting by Johann M Cherian in Bengaluru; Editing by Shilpi Majumdar and Deepa Babington)
