By MARK HEINZL,(WSJ) 

TORONTO -- Canada's S&P/TSX composite stock index sank 2.4%, as investors fled income trusts in the wake of the government's unexpected announcement that it plans to put an end to the tax advantages of the popular investment vehicles -- a move that riled many in the country's financial community.

The Canadian government's move was "a total stunner," especially since trusts were "a winning political issue for the Conservatives," said Chip Hanlon, president of Delta Global Advisors Inc., Huntington Beach, Calif., which advises a Claymore Securities fund holding Canadian energy trusts.

*The excerpt above ran in the "Market Beat" column. WSJ.com subscribers can access the full article by clicking here.