The Globe and Mail reports in its Wednesday edition that Canada's main stock index edged lower on Tuesday as a drop in oil prices and fading optimism around China's efforts to boost its economy weighed on energy and mining shares. A Reuters dispatch to The Globe says that Wall Street's major indexes, however, ended higher, as investors bought back into technology stocks. The S&P/TSX Composite Index ended down 30.2 points at 24,072.51, extending its pullback from a record closing high on Friday. China, one of the world's major consumers of oil and base metals, expressed confidence on achieving its full-year growth target. However, it refrained from introducing stronger fiscal steps, disappointing investors who had banked on more support from policy-makers to get the economy back on track. "Today we saw a sell-off in everything that was banking on a better Chinese economy," says Colin Cieszynski at SIA Wealth Management. Toronto's energy sector was down 2.3 per cent as the price of oil settled 4.6 per cent lower at $73.57 (U.S.) a barrel. It was also pressured lower by easing fears of supply disruptions from the conflict between Israel and Iran. The materials sector lost 1 per cent as gold and copper prices fell.