Stocks in Toronto slipped at the end of the day.

The Toronto Stock Exchange S&P/TSX composite index dropped 31.35 points to finish at 7,580.56.

Today marked the TSX’s fifth-straight day of losses. Eight of the 10 TSX subgroups finished lower.

Declines in crude oil and gas prices hurt energy stocks. Instead, investors drifted toward financial stocks. That sector grew slightly – 0.71%. The last of the major bank earnings reports has been released. And traders are hoping that the worst of the loan-loss news is past.

Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce led the day. It added $1.25, climbing to $51.15. Royal Bank of Canada grew 99¢ to $57.25. National Bank of Canada gained 9¢ to $31.80, despite an earnings report of falling profits — down 13% but above analysts’ estimates. Laurentian Bank of Canada, on the other hand, lost ground, dropping 60¢ to $31.85. Laurentian posted a loss slightly lower than analyst expectations.

Energy issues fell 1.13%. Utilities also fell — 2.3%. Weak energy prices are reflecting low demand. Talisman Energy dropped $1.10 to $67.45. Precision Drilling sank $1.42 to $56.43. BC Gas Inc. slid 95¢ to $39.75. Enbridge Inc. dipped 69¢ to $47.51.

The S&P/TSX venture composite index closed down, today, 4.79 at 1227.59. Trading was very heavy. A volume of 52.5 million shares worth $21.8 million was traded, with 247 advances, 259 declines and 534 issues remaining unchanged.

South of the border, the market also fell again, though technology stocks – such as Cisco Systems Inc. – countered the trend.

The Dow Jones industrial average slipped 11.35 points to 9,911.69. The Standard & Poor’s 500 index slid backward by a mere 3 points to 1,064.66. The NASDAQ composite index, benefitting from the technology stock spike, edged up 7.52 points to 1,631.91.