The main Toronto market lost ground today — the last full day of trading before the Christmas break. U.S. markets sloughed off mixed economic data to post modest gains.

In Toronto, the S&P/TSX composite index slid backward 2.81 points to 9,248.36. The TSX Venture Exchange added 19.20 points to 1,770.74.

Weakness on the TSX was led by the financial sector. CIBC fell 74¢ to $72.35 and Bank of Nova Scotia slipped 40¢ to $40.05.

Investor sentiment was dampened by a report from Statistics Canada, which said that the economy stood still in October — the second month in a row with no growth in gross domestic product.

The Canadian dollar rose 0.49 of a cent to 81.04 cents U.S.

In the U.S., markets were buoyed by a report that consumers spent slightly more, an increase of 0.2 per cent in November.

The Dow Jones industrial average gained 21.65 points to 10,837.54. The Nasdaq composite index added a mere 5.63 points to 2,162.66. The S&P 500 crept up slightly, adding 2.02 points to 1,211.59.