Stocks in Canada’s largest centre moved positive by Monday’s closing bell, thanks mostly to momentum from energy issues.
The S&P/TSX Composite Index jumped 63.66 points to end Monday at 15,730.79
The Canadian dollar vaulted 0.50 cents at 75.02 cents U.S.
Markets throughout North America are closed Friday for Good Friday
The heavyweight energy group climbed, with Canadian Natural Resources adding 71 cents, or 1.6%, to $45.31 and EnCana Corp., up 47
cents, or 3% at $16.02, as a shutdown at Libya's largest oilfield and political tensions in the Middle East supported prices.
In the health-care sector, Canopy Growth Corporation strengthened 65 cents, or 6.4%, to $10.87, while Aphria Inc. popped 48 cents, or 6.1%, to $8.39.
Industrials fared well, too, Bombardier rumbled ahead 10 cents, or 4.7%, to $2.22, while New Flyer Industries acquired 17 cents to $49.71.
Stock market operator TMX Group rose $1.07, or 1.5%, to $71.69, after China's state-owned clearing house said on Saturday that it will work with the company to expedite cross-border investments.
Financial stocks were lower overall, however, as Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce faltered 75 cents to $114.84, and Bank of Nova Scotia gave back 43 cents to $77.68.
On the economic slate, Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation reported that housing starts rose to 253,720 units in March, topping economists' forecasts for 215,000. February was revised slightly higher to 214,253 units.
ON BAYSTREET
The TSX Venture Exchange nicked up 0.77 points to 825.04
All but one of the 12 TSX subgroups finished the day higher, with energy climbing 1.7%, health-care haler 1.3%, and industrials better 0.8%.
Only financials missed out, falling 0.2%.
ON WALLSTREET
U.S. equities advanced slightly on Monday amid geopolitical tensions while investors looked ahead to the start of earnings season.
The Dow Jones Industrials squeezed back into the green 1.68 points to 20,657.78, with Caterpillar leading advancers and Intel the top decliner.
The S&P 500 recovered 1.62 points to 2,357.16, with energy rising more than 1% to lead advancers. Energy stocks received a boost from oil, which rose after Libya's largest oilfield was shut down.
The NASDAQ Composite moved positive 3.11 points to 5,880.93
President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping met at the Mar-a-Lago in Florida last week, in which the two leaders seemed to get along well. Some market participants looked at the meeting as a potential risk for stocks.
Investors also contended with a U.S. airstrike on a Syrian airfield late Thursday and, on Saturday, a U.S. official told media outlets that a U.S. Navy strike group will be moving close to the Korean peninsula as a show of force.
JPMorgan Chase, Wells Fargo and Citigroup are among the companies set to report earnings this week.
Prices for the benchmark 10-year Treasury note gained, dropping yields to 2.36% from Friday’s 2.38%. Treasury prices and yields move in opposite directions.
Oil prices heightened 80 cents at $53.04 U.S. a barrel
Gold prices dropped 90 cents at $1,256.40 U.S. an ounce.
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