A 50 basis point drop in interest rates by the Bank of Canada to 1 per cent did not buoy confidence in the equity markets during Tuesday trading as investors bailed out in a big way. For the tale of the tape, the TSX Exchange plunged 3.81%, while the TSX Gold Index popped another 3.35% and the TSX Venture Exchange, Canada’s largest junior exploration bourse, fell 1.86% with the declining issuers swamping the advancers by a 423 to 263 margin on 107 million shares traded.

Falling gold and oil prices sent the more speculative stocks lower for the second straight day during Thursday trading on the Canadian Markets.