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Canada’s main stock index started the week down slightly as North American markets took a pause from recent extreme volatility.

The S&P/TSX composite index closed down 40.24 points at 16,495.09.

In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average was up 38.05 points at 26,835.51. The S&P 500 index was down 0.28 points at 2,978.43, while the Nasdaq composite was down 15.64 points at 8,087.44.

The Canadian dollar traded for an average of US76.02¢ compared with an average of US75.91¢ on Friday.

The October crude contract was up US$1.33 at US$57.85 per barrel and the October natural gas contract was up US8.9¢ at US$2.59 per mmBTU.

The December gold contract was down US$4.40 at US$1,511.10 an ounce and the December copper contract was down US0.65¢ at US$2.63 a pound.