TORONTO - The Toronto stock market was little changed amid weak economic data from the U.S. and an earnings report from Bank of Montreal (TSX:BMO) that beat expectations.
The S&P/TSX composite index slipped 8.17 points to 12,692.21.
Bank of Montreal handed in first-quarter profits which rose 34 per cent to $1.1 billion or $1.63 a share. The bank benefited from its major expansion into the U.S. with the recent acquisition of Milwaukee-based Marshall & Ilsley Corp.
The Canadian dollar rose 0.24 of a cent to 100.32 cents US.
U.S. markets were listless after the U.S. Commerce Department said orders for durable goods — products that are expected to last at least three years — fell four per cent last month, much more than the 1.1 per cent drop that economists were expecting.
The Dow Jones industrial average slipped 0.61 of a point to 12,980.9. The Nasdaq composite index was up 0.82 of a point to 2,966.98 while the S&P 500 index inched 0.02 of a point lower to 1,367.57.
