Canadian stock market continues down Friday

OTTAWA, Feb.9 (Xinhua) -- Canada's main stock index continued down Friday as gold futures and copper prices declined.

The Toronto Stock Exchange's benchmark Standard & Poor's/TSX Composite Index fell 31.08 points, or 0.21 percent, to close the day at 15,034.53. Seven of the index's 10 main industry groups were down.

The index has lost nearly 1,200 points since the year began.

The Canadian dollar inched up 0.02 cents at 0.79.44 U.S.dollar.

The materials group, which includes precious and base metals miners and fertilizer companies, declined 1.1 percent.

Guyana Gold dropped 7.6 percent, Eldorado Gold lost 7.1 percent, New Gold dipped 6.3 percent and Oceangold Corp fell 5.9 percent.

The largest percentage decliner was Sierra Wireless Inc, plunging 13.6 percent to 19.94 Canadian dollars after the company reported a fourth-quarter loss after the bell on Thursday.

In other mining shares, Rubicon Minerals fell 3.8 percent to 1.28 Canadian dollars while Dalradian Resources ditched 4.2 percent, to 91 cents.

Canada Goose shares lost 4.2 percent to 38.48 Canadian dollars Elsewhere in discretionaries, Canadian Tire lost 31 cents to 160.90 Canadian dollars.

Health-care issues led the positive charge, with Canopy Growth up 3.8 percent to 28.17 Canadian dollars and Aphria gaining nine cents to 16.08 Canadian dollars. Enditem