TSX Slides as Mideast Tensions Weigh

Canada's main stock index dipped on Tuesday, as a surge in oil prices driven by an impasse in the U.S.-Iran peace talks weighed ?on investor sentiment.The TSX Composite Index slid 199.96 points to move into Tuesday afternoon at 33,938.92. The Canadian dollar dipped 22 cents to 72.89 cents U.S. Bank Of Montreal signed an agreement to sell transportation, vendor finance businesses to Stonepeak. BMO shares drooped $1.89 to $207.49. On the earnings front, chemicals supplier Chemtrade's first-quarter revenue and ?EBITDA missed estimates. Chemtrade shares were bruised $1.87, or 10.2%, to $16.53.Organigram's ?second-quarter net revenue fell more than expected and missed analyst estimates. Organigram shares lost 26 cents, or 14.4%, to $1.54. On the domestic earnings front, Pet Valu fell $2.66, or 13.5% to ?a record low of $17.05 and to the ?bottom of the benchmark index after the pet food retailer's first-quarter profit fell on higher operating costs.Paramount Resources rose $1.28, or 4.4% to $30.52, after the oil and gas producer lifted its full-year output guidance.ON BAYSTREET The TSX Venture Exchange pitched backwards 15.26 points, or 1.5%, to 990.32. Seven of the 12 TSX subgroups were lower midday, weighed most by gold, stumbling 3.6%, materials, sliding 2.9%, and information technology, off 2%.The five gainers were led by energy, rumbling 1.5%, consumer staples, progressing 1.2%, and telecoms, ahead 0.9%. ON WALLSTREETThe S&P 500 slipped on Tuesday, weighed down by higher oil prices, as traders reacted to a hotter-than-expected annual consumer price index reading for April.The Dow Jones Industrials index fell 174.11 points to move into Tuesday afternoon at 49,530.36.The much broader index toppled 58.89 points to 7,357.95.The NASDAQ waned 399.18 points, or 1.5%, to 25,874.95. Micron Technology — which led the S&P 500 and NASDAQ Composite to fresh record highs in the previous session — reversed course from its recent gains, falling more than 5%. The stock soared more than 37% last week. Alongside Micron, Advanced Micro Devices hesitated 3% and Qualcomm dropped 10%.West Texas Intermediate futures jumped 3% to trade above $101 per barrel. Brent crude climbed 3% to above $108. Those gains built on Monday’s advance, after President Donald Trump called the month-old ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran “unbelievably weak” and said it was “on massive life support” after rejecting an “unacceptable” counterproposal from Tehran to end the war.In its latest counteroffer, Iran has insisted on war reparations, full sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz, the release of frozen Iranian assets and lifted sanctions.With energy prices remaining elevated, even more attention will be given to inflation data to assess the impact of the Iran war on the U.S. economy.In April, the consumer price index rose 0.6%, putting the annual inflation rate at 3.8%, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. While monthly move for headline inflation was in line with expectations, economists polled by Dow Jones were calling for a gain of 3.7% from a year earlier. That annual inflation rate was the highest since May 2023.Prices for the 10-year Treasury dipped, raising yields to 4.45% from Monday’s 4.41%. Treasury prices and yields move in opposite directions. Oil prices hiked $3.32 to $101.39 U.S. a barrel. Gold prices faltered $56.70 to $4,672 U.S. an ounce.