Suspense over the future of interest rates south of the border worked its way into Canadian markets, with the main index trudging lower Thursday, owing mostly to losses in health stocks.

The TSX Composite came off its lows of the afternoon, but remained 71.02 points in the red to close Thursday at 20,918.40.

The Canadian dollar slid 0.09 cents to 74.66 cents U.S.

Among health-care concerns, Tilray stumbled 15 cents, or 5.6%, to $2.54, while Chartwell Retirement Residences shed 12 cents, or 1%, to $11.86.

Financials also took a pounding, with Power Corporation dissolving 72 cents, or 1.9%, to $37.67, while CIBC fell $1.02, or 1.6%, to $62.05.

In industrial stocks, Ballard Power Systems faced down 18 cents, or 3.9%, to $4.48, while Canadian Pacific doffed $2.31, or 2.2%, to $103.27.

Energy stocks resumed their roll, however, with Arc Resources stronger 62 cents, or 3%, to $21.16, while Advantage Oil and Gas taking on 24 cents, or 2.8%, to $8.98.

In consumer stocks, Aritzia proved the ace, gaining $5.55, or 21%, to $32.01, while Canada Goose Holdings soared 32 cents, or 2.1%, to $15.91.

George Weston tacked on $2.46, or 1.5%, to $169.45, while Loblaw stretched higher $2.23. or 1.8%, to $129.82.

ON BAYSTREET

The TSX Venture Exchange sank 4.62 points to close at 550.29.

Seven of the 12 subgroups were lower on the day, with health-care fading 1.6%, financials backing off 0.9%, and industrials down 0.5%.

Of the five gainers, energy surged 0.7%, consumer discretionary stocks took on 0.6%, and consumer staples were boosted 0.5%.

ON WALLSTREET

Stocks moved slightly lower Thursday, shrugging off a fresh round of inflation data that reflected an uptick in consumer prices for December.

The Dow Jones Industrials changed course and ended positive 15.29 points at 37.711.02

The S&P 500 sagged 3.21 points to 4,780.24.

The NASDAQ squeezed ahead 0.54 points to 14,970.18.

Thursday’s selloff was, in part, influenced by tempered expectations surrounding the Federal Reserve’s rate cut timeline as well as earnings jitters, according to CFRA chief investment strategist Sam Stovall. This week is kickstarting the fourth-quarter earnings season, with banking behemoths Bank of America, Wells Fargo and JPMorgan Chase set to report results Friday.

Elsewhere in Thursday’s market, Bitcoin ETFs rose on their first day of trading as crypto prices also edged up. Bitcoin briefly hit the $49,000 mark earlier Thursday before falling to just above $46,000. The moves follow Wednesday’s approved rule changes from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission which opened the door for bitcoin exchange-traded funds and expanded investors’ access to the flagship crypto.

December’s consumer price index report came out slightly higher-than-expected, reflecting a 0.3% increase in consumer prices for the month, pushing the annual rate to 3.4%. Economists polled by Dow Jones had predicted that the CPI rose 0.2% in December and 3.2% on a year-over-year basis.

Core CPI, excluding volatile food and energy prices, came out in line with expectations, however, pointing to persistent—yet easing—inflation pressures. The data released on Thursday suggests that future interest rate cuts may be slower to come.

Prices for the 10-year Treasury jumped, lowering yields to 3.98% from Wednesday’s 4.04%. Treasury prices and yields move in opposite directions.

Oil prices added 97 cents to $72.34 U.S. a barrel.