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

Toronto Stock Exchange (13,133.42 down 190.59 points):

Southern Pacific Resource Corp. (TSX:STP). Oil and gas. Down 12 cents, or 50 per cent, at 12 cents on 25.29 million shares. The Calgary-based company announced it will undergo a review of strategic alternatives, which may include a sale, merger or other business combination.

Victory Nickel Inc. (TSX:NI). Miner. Up half a cent, or 25 per cent, at 2.5 cents on 7.45 million shares.

Encana Corp. (TSX:ECA). Natural gas. Down $1.21, or 5.94 per cent, at $19.17 on 4.75 million shares. The natural gas giant's capital spending is expected to come in 10 per cent lower next year while it plans to increase its production of natural gas liquids by 30 per cent.

Bombardier Inc. (TSX:BBD.B). Plane and train maker. Down 13 cents, or 2.81 per cent, at $4.50 on 3.88 million shares.

Manulife Financial Corp. (TSX:MFC). Insurer. Down 44 cents, or 2.19 per cent, at $19.69 on 3.71 million shares.

Toronto Venture Exchange (897.03 down 6.96 points):

Border Petroleum Corp. (TSXV:BOR). Oil and gas. Up half a cent, or 100 per cent, at one cent on 20.61 million shares.

Alexander Energy Ltd. (TSXV:ALX). Oil and gas. Down two cents, or 3.28 per cent, at 59 cents on 5.88 million shares.

Companies reporting major news:

Canadian National Railway (TSX:CNR). Railway. Down $1.90, or 3.19 per cent, at $57.65 on 1.49 million shares. The country's largest railway is expecting to deliver double-digit earnings growth in 2014 on a continued recovery of the North American economy. It said adjusted diluted earnings should be on top of the $3.05 to $3.10 per share forecast for 2013. That implies adjusted diluted EPS of $3.38 to $3.54, which is in line with forecasts by analysts.

Hudson's Bay Co. (TSX:HBC). Retailer. Down $1.19, or 5.95 per cent, at $18.80 on 1.01 million shares. The national retailer posted a bigger third-quarter loss, mostly due to its acquisition of Saks Inc. Net loss totalled $124.2 million or $1.04 per share versus a loss of $14.4 million or 14 cents per share last year. Overall retail sales rose by 5.8 per cent to $984.1 million, boosted by strong sales across various departments and over e-commerce.

Laurentian Bank (TSX:LB). Bank. Down $2.19, or 4.64 per cent, at $44.98 on 230,122 shares. Fourth-quarter profit missed expectations as restructuring costs pulled its net income down 41 per cent to $27.2 million despite higher revenues totalling $215.5 million. Canada's seventh-largest bank also posted lower full-year earnings despite a nine per cent increase in revenue.

News from © The Canadian Press, 2013