Markets in Toronto gamely managed to keep the gains they had accumulated throughout, as massive gains in energy stocks overrode losses in health-care and gold plays.
The S&P/TSX Composite stayed positive 23.12 points to conclude trading Thursday at 14,754.55, on top of hefty gain Wednesday of more than 170 points.
The Canadian dollar dropped 0.43 cents at 76.02 cents U.S.
In the energy field, EnCana sprinted ahead $1.03, or 8.4%, to conclude the day at $13.30, while MEG Energy added 40 cents, or 7.2%, to $5.95.
Telecoms also keep their heads above water, most notably, BCE, which gathered 39 cents to $60.96, while rival Shaw Communications prospered 48 cents, or 1.8%, to $26.84
Among utilities, Fortis Inc. gained 37 cents to $42.34.
Health-care shares faltered, however, as Valeant Pharmaceuticals got pummeled $1.64, or 4.7%, to $32.94, while Concordia International lost 23 cents, or 3.7%, to $5.99
Tech stocks were roughed up a mite, as BlackBerry docked 45 cents, or 4.1%, to $10.44, while Constellation Software slid 67 cents to $592.68.
On the economic slate, Statistics Canada reported Thursday that average weekly earnings stayed pretty still in July at $955.00, down 0.2% from June, and up 0.1% from July 2015.
ON BAY STREET
The TSX Venture Exchange settled 2.38 points Thursday at 799.09
Eight of the 12 TSX subgroups were down on the day, as health-care ailed 0.9%, gold dipped 0.7%, and information technology sank 0.5%.
The four gainers were led by energy, up 2.2%, while telecoms and utilities each took on 0.2%.
ON WALL STREET
Equities south of the border traded sharply lower on Thursday after banking stocks fell hard, with Deutsche Bank's U.S.-listed shares hit a new all-time low.
The Dow Jones Industrials plummeted 192.09 points, or 1.1%, to 18,147.22, with Goldman Sachs leading decliners and Caterpillar the top riser.
The S&P 500 shed 20.24 points to 2,151.13, with health care leading all 11 sectors lower.
The NASDAQ Composite wilted 49.39 points to 5,269.19, as Apple dived 1.4%
In the past two weeks, the German bank has been hit with billions in fines from the U.S. Justice Department and reports that it will not be receiving help from the German government.
In corporate news, PepsiCo shares rose about 0.9% after the soda and snacks giant posted better-than-expected quarterly results.
ConAgra and Accenture shares also rose following their quarterly results releases. After the bell, Costco is scheduled to post results.
In economic news, the third — and final — read on second-quarter gross domestic product showed the U.S. economy grew slightly faster than previously estimated. The Commerce Department said GDP rose at an annualized rate of 1.4% in the second quarter.
Meanwhile, weekly jobless claims rose 3,000 to 254,000, slightly less than expected. The four-week moving average of new claims, which smooths out volatility, fell 2,250 to 256,000.
Washington also reported that after-tax corporate profits fell at a 0.6% rate in the second quarter, a smaller drop than initially estimated. With profits declining, an alternative measure of growth, gross domestic income, or GDI, dropped at a 0.2% rate in the second quarter. GDI measures the economy's performance from the income side.
The National Association or Realtors reported pending home sales fell 2.4% in August, marking the third straight monthly decline.
Prices for the 10-year Treasury regained lost ground, lowering yields to 1.56% from Wednesday’s 1.57%. Treasury prices and yields move in opposite directions.
Oil prices added 65 cents to $47.70 U.S. a barrel
Gold prices brightened 50 cents at $1,324.20 U.S. an ounce.
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