TORONTO, April 12 (Reuters) – Canada’s main stock index fell
sharply on Friday, with gold miners leading a broad sell-off as
the price of bullion plummeted and as contracting U.S. retail
sales data signaled flagging momentum in Canada’s largest export
market.

The index fell well over 1 percent in morning trade, with
all ten main sectors in the red.

TORONTO, April 12 (Reuters) – Shaw Communications Inc
posted a 2 percent rise in second-quarter
profit on Friday and said it expects modest revenue growth for
the rest of the year, as price increases staved off an overall
decline in its customer base.

Shares in Shaw, the dominant cable company in Western
Canada, fell 1 percent in early trade.

TORONTO, April 11 (Reuters) – Two of Canada’s biggest
independent media companies handed in very different earnings
report cards on Thursday, with profits at Corus Entertainment
Inc plunging 81 percent while rival Astral Media Inc
reported a 9 percent jump in earnings.

Shares of Corus plunged 5 percent, while shares of Astral
were little changed.

Astral, which is waiting for regulators to rule on a revised
proposal to be acquired by BCE Inc, Canada’s biggest
telecom provider and owner of the CTV television network, said
growth at its main television operation and smaller outdoor
advertising unit more than offset a slip in radio revenue.

TORONTO (Reuters) – Two of Canada’s biggest independent media companies handed in very different earnings report cards on Thursday, with profits plunging at Corus Entertainment Inc while rival Astral Media Inc’s earnings jumped 9 percent.

Astral, which is waiting for regulators to rule on a revised proposal to be acquired by BCE Inc, said growth at its main television operation and smaller outdoor advertising unit more than offset a slip in radio revenue.