Most North American markets fell Thursday as concerns grew about the hand-over of power in Iraq and interest-rate worries were renewed by a U.S. report showing a surge in new home sales last month.

In Toronto, the S&P TSX composite Index dropped 44.64, or 0.52%, to 8,530.77. The TSX Venture exchange was the only positive performer, adding 20.03, or 1.30%, to 1,580.32.

In the U.S., stocks closed slightly lower on Thursday after investors digested a mixed batch of economic data and chose to sit tight ahead of the Federal Reserve’s decision on interest rates next week.

The Dow Jones industrial average fell 35.76 points, or 0.34% to 10,443.81. The Standard & Poor’s 500 Index dropped 3.44 points, or 0.3% to 1,140.62, and the technology-laced Nasdaq composite Index fell 5.41 points, or 0.27% to 2,015.57. Many investors remain reluctant to make big moves ahead of the U.S. Federal Reserve meeting on June 29-30.

The Canadian dollar gained 0.73 to US74.30¢.