TORONTO -- Gains in the industrials and utilities sectors nudged Canada's main stock index up on Friday, while U.S stock markets dipped.

The closed up 29.06 points at 20,958.44.

In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average was down 20.56 points at 37,689.54. The S&P 500 index was down 13.52 points at 4,769.83, while the Nasdaq composite was down 83.78 points at 15,011.35.

The Canadian dollar traded for 75.61 cents US compared with 75.69 cents US on Thursday.

The February crude oil contract was down 12 cents at US$71.65 per barrel and the February natural gas contract was down four cents at US$2.51 per mmBTU.

The February gold contract was down US$11.70 at US$2,071.80 an ounce and the March copper contract was down three cents at US$3.89 a pound.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 29, 2023