National Business

HALIFAX — Nova Scotia’s Liberal and NDP leaders highlighted platform pledges related to housing and support for small businesses Friday, as Progressive Conservative Leader Tim Houston campaigned outside of Halifax.

DETROIT (AP) — General Motors is laying off about 1,000 workers worldwide, shedding costs as it tries to compete in a crowded global automobile market. The workers, mostly white collar, were notified about the decisions early Friday.

The Canadian Real Estate Association says the number of homes sold in October rose 30 per cent compared with a year ago, marking a shift from the market's holding pattern. On a seasonally adjusted month-over-month basis, national home sales rose 7.

TORONTO — Canadian Tire Corp. Ltd. has signed a deal to sell an industrial property in the Greater Toronto Area for $258 million. The company says the property in Brampton, Ont., includes 1.

CALGARY — The massive price discount on Canadian oil and gas assets compared with those south of the border was likely a major factor behind Ovintiv Inc.

TORONTO — The Canada Pension Plan Investment Board says its fund earned a net return of 3.6 per cent in its second quarter.

MONTREAL — AtkinsRéalis Group Inc. has announced a deal to build two new Candu nuclear reactors in Romania. The company says the new reactors will be the first new Candu reactors to be built since 2007.

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks are falling again as their big rally following last week’s presidential election and cut to interest rates continues to fade. The S&P 500 fell 0.7% Friday.

OTTAWA — Statistics Canada says wholesale sales excluding petroleum, petroleum products, and other hydrocarbons and excluding oilseed and grain rose 0.8 per cent to $82.3 billion in September.

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. retail sales rose last month at a healthy pace in the latest sign that consumer spending is driving the economy's steady growth. Retail purchases rose 0.