S&P/TSX composite ends down for third straight week on events coming out of China
TORONTO —
Canada’s main stock index concluded its third losing week in a row by giving back some of its recent gains amid concerns out of China about the real estate market and the country’s ban on cryptocurrencies.
Markets were hit early Friday by China’s decision to declare digital currencies like Bitcoin illegal. That particularly affected the technology sector.
Canadian digital asset miner Hut 8 Mining Corp. lost 5.3 per cent to push the technology sector down 1.2 per cent.
There were also suggestions that Evergrande may have missed a debt payment, renewing questions about its solvency and the potential spillover effects on the global economy.
Evergrande has caused the market this week to focus on China’s real estate and real estate finance and assess whether the key driver of the country’s economy may be weaker for a significant period of time, says Geoff Castle, portfolio manager for PenderFund.
“I…