Canada's main index moved lower Wednesday, led by weakness in base metals, while U.S. markets also continued to move down from last week's highs. 

The S&P/TSX Composite Index closed down 75.13 points, or 0.35 per cent, at 21,243.77.

In New York, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 23.39 points at 38,949.02. The S&P 500 Index was down 8.42 points at 5,069.76, while the Nasdaq Composite was down 87.56 points at 15,947.74.

The Canadian dollar traded for 73.67 cents U.S. compared with 73.96 cents U.S. on Tuesday.

The April crude oil contract was down 33 cents at US$78.54 per barrel and the April natural gas contract was up eight cents at US$1.89 per mm/BTU.

The April gold contract was down US$1.40 at US$2,042.70 an ounce and the May copper contract was down a penny at US$3.84 a pound.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 28, 2024.