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TSX, U.S. stock markets open lower as rally fizzles

Markets are falling Friday in response to a decision to keep interest rates on hold in the United States.
Markets opened lower on Friday -- but the drop was relatively minor compared to the volatility of the previous week. AP Photo/Richard Drew

North American stock markets fell in the opening minutes of trading on Friday, but the declines were relatively subdued compared to the huge swings in valuations witnessed over the previous week.

The S&P TSX composite index dropped 30.9 points or 0.23 per cent at the bell. In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average was off 72 points (0.44 per cent), while the S&P 500 declined 7 points (0.35 per cent).

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MORE: Complete coverage of the recent stock market mayhem 

The Canadian dollar was down one-third of a cent. The loonie was at 75.34 cents US, down 0.31 of a U.S. cent from Thursday’s close.

On the commodity markets, the December gold contract rose $3.70 to US$1,126.30 an ounce, the October crude contract was down 53 cents at US$42.03 a barrel and the October contract for natural gas was up four cents at US$2.70.

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On Thursday, the S&P/TSX index in Toronto rose 385.08 points to close at 13,766.67 and the loonie gained 0.59 of a U.S. cent.

MORE: 5 reasons why China’s ‘new normal’ is rattling markets 

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