The S&P TSX Composite Index slipped about 0.2% to below 32,950 on Monday as markets reopened after the holiday break and entered the final week of the year with a cautious tone. Major mining names including Agnico Eagle, Barrick, and Wheaton Precious Metals fell between 1.8% and 3.4% as gold prices dropped on profit taking, with easing geopolitical tensions weighing on safe haven demand. In contrast, crude oil prices climbed more than 2%, offering support to Canadian energy producers, as investors balanced talks between the US and Ukrainian presidents on a potential peace deal against ongoing risks of supply disruptions in the Middle East. Elsewhere, attention is turning to the release of the US Federal Reserve’s meeting minutes on Tuesday.