Most actively traded companies on the TSX, TSX Venture Exchange markets

TORONTO – Some of the most active companies traded Thursday on the Toronto Stock Exchange and the TSX Venture Exchange:

Toronto Stock Exchange (13,475.33 up 45.32 points):

Barrick Gold Corp. (TSX:ABX). Miner. Down 15 cents, or 0.84 per cent, at $17.79 on 18.80 million shares. The gold sector led decliners on the main index, falling 0.82 per cent to 162.59 points as the price of bullion on the New York Mercantile Exchange closed at US$1,243.60 per ounce, down $14.40.

MBAC Fertilizer Corp. (TSX:MBC). Fertilizer. Down four cents, or 2.58 per cent, at $1.51 on 7.86 million shares.

Whitecap Resources Inc. (TSX:WCP). Oil and gas. Up 64 cents, or 5.46 per cent, at $12.36 on 5.93 million shares. The company announced Wednesday that it will acquire a private company withoperations in west-central Saskatchewan and boost its monthly dividend by eight per cent to 5.67 cents per share starting in the new year.

Coastal Energy Company (TSX:CEN). Oil and gas. Unchanged at $18.84 on 5.87 million shares.

Encana Corp. (TSX:ECA). Oil and gas. Up 13 cents, or 0.64 per cent, at $20.53 on 5.12 million shares. The energy sector led advancers, up 0.92 per cent at 272.85 points as the January crude contract ended the day at US$95.44 a barrel, up $1.59.

Toronto Venture Exchange (926.71 up 11.69 points):

Enablence Technologies Inc. (TSXV:ENA). Communications equipment. Down a penny, or 8.33 per cent, at 11 cents on 5.63 million shares.

LX Ventures Inc. (TSXV:LXV). Computer hardware. Up 10 cents, or 16.39 per cent, at 71 cents on 5.47 million shares.

Companies reporting major news:

Gildan Activewear Inc. (TSX:GIL). Apparel. Down $1.70, or 3.31 per cent, at $49.60 on 1.23 million shares. The Montreal-based company’s guidance for 2014 earnings came in a few cents per share below analyst estimates. The T-shirt and sock maker also announced that it will boost its quarterly dividend by 20 per cent starting in the new year.

Tembec Inc. (TSX:TMB). Forestry. Up 12 cents, or 5.13 per cent, at $2.46 on 120,407 shares. Fourth-quarter net income totalled $6 million or six cents per share, up from a loss of $47 million or 47 cents per share. Sales fell to $352 million from $443 million.