Global stock markets were relatively stable on Tuesday after China injected an estimated $20 billion US to stabilize its equity and currency markets.

The benchmark index in Toronto — the S&P/TSX composite index — was down 26 points to 12,900 just before 10 a.m. ET, while the Dow Jones industrial average slipped 11 points lower at 17,138.

West Texas crude oil futures dropped 40 cents to $36.36 US a barrel, sending energy shares lower, while financials, utilities and health-care stocks rose marginally.

Chinese shares listed in Shanghai and Shenzen ended little changed on Tuesday. Panic selling on Monday sent shares diving seven per cent, sending most Asian, European and North American markets lower.

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A man walks past a screen displaying market data and exchange rates between the Japanese yen and the U.S. dollar outside a brokerage in Tokyo on Tuesday. (Thomas Peter/Reuters)

The global index rose 0.2 per cent on Tuesday, with markets in London and Frankfurt higher, though many big Asian exchanges including Japan, Australia and Hong Kong closed in the red.
 
"The price action reminds investors that the world is more connected than ever; volatility is likely here to stay, and liquidity may suffer if investor uncertainty worsens," Citi analysts told Reuters. 
With files from Reuters