Equities in Toronto enjoyed sizable gains Friday, powered largely by tech issues.
The TSX index sprang 123.06 points to pause for lunch Friday at 33,125.76.
The Canadian dollar took on 0.3 at 72.85 cents U.S.
In corporate news, Aris Mining named Neil Woodyer as chief executive officer after markets closed on Thursday, while Capstone Copper's Australia-listed shares dropped 3.4% on Friday after a workers' strike forced a production halt in its mine in Mantoverde, Chile.
Aris shares began Friday up 65 cents, or 2.4%, to $27.70, while those for Capstone spiked 95 cents, or 6.7%, to $15.09.
Partially offsetting the day's gains, the heavyweight financials sector fell and healthcare shed strength. with drugmaker Bausch Health plummeting 96 cents, or 10.6%, to $8.11 after its brain dysfunction treatment failed late-stage trials.
On the economic beat, Statistics Canada reported retail sales hiked 1.3% to $70.4 billion in November. The nation’s number crunchers added sales were up in eight of nine subsectors, led by increases at food and beverage retailers.
ON BAYSTREET
The TSX Venture Exchange surged 10.72 points, or 1%, to 1,144.91.
The 12 TSX subgroups remained evenly split, with information technology sprinting 1.5%, while materials improved 1.3%, and energy was better by 1.2%.
The half-dozen laggards were weighed most by health-care, off 2.8%, while consumer discretionary stocks calmed 0.7% and financials lost 0.5%.
ON WALLSTREET
U.S. equities were mixed on Friday as the S&P 500 and NASDAQ Composite were poised to extend their latest gains amid easing geopolitical
fears.The Dow Jones Industrials toppled 264.72 points to 49,119.29, dragged by a 2% slide in Goldman Sachs
The much-broader index picked up 3.50 points to 6,917.18.
The NASDAQ raced ahead 96.35 points to 23,532.37.
The 30-stock Dow is down 0.4% on the week. The S&P 500 is on track for its second negative week in a row, down 0.2%, while the NASDAQ has risen 0.3% in the weekly period.
Shares of Nvidia and Advanced Micro Devices were among those supporting the two indexes’ advances, rising more than 1% and 3%, respectively. The moves come as people familiar with the matter told the media that Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang is planning to visit China in the coming days.
Other tech names like Microsoft saw a boost as well.
Intel shares, in contrast, tumbled 15% after the chipmaker reported a disappointing first-quarter outlook.
The three major averages rallied for a second session on Thursday as investors were appeased by news of easing trade tensions and geopolitical risk.
The president’s move came after Trump announced that he and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte reached a “framework of a future deal with respect to Greenland.”
Prices for the 10-year Treasury stayed put, keeping yields at Thursday’s 4.25%.
Oil prices recovered $1.75 to $61.11 U.S. a barrel.
Gold prices leaped $68.60 to $4,982.
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