Equities rose in Toronto on Friday as higher oil prices helped support shares of energy companies and banks climbed after reporting quarterly results earlier this week.
The S&P/TSX composite index leaped 84.02 points to greet noon at 15,325.18
The Canadian dollar remained positive 0.06 cents to 79.96 cents U.S.
The benchmark index was set to climb 4% this month, boosted by a rebound in the energy and financial sectors.
Gold stocks added strength, as Argonaut Gold sprinted ahead by 11 cents, or 5.4%, to $2.14.
Base metals stocks also proved themselves stars as Turquoise Hill Resources proved the mightiest of the bunch, up 15 cents, or 3.9%, to $4.03.
In the financial sector, Toronto Dominion Bank rose 0.7% to $54.83 and Royal Bank of Canada added 0.4% to $78.37.
Shares of energy companies climbed. Enbridge Inc advanced 0.9% to $58.10, and TransCanada Corp edged up 0.2% to $54.29
ON BAYSTREET
The TSX Venture Exchange gained 2.17 points to 703.10
All but four of the 14 Toronto subgroups were higher, led by gold and the metals and mining groups, up 2.2% each, and materials, better by 1.5%.
The quartet of losing groups was weighed most by information technology, down 1.2%, while health-care suffered 0.6%, and consumer staples faded 0.2%.
ON WALLSTREET
U.S. markets traded mildly lower on Friday, February's last trading day, amid domestic economic reports and slight oil gains.
The Dow Jones Industrials retreated 19.90 points to 18,194.52, with American Express the greatest decliner and Coca-Cola leading advancers.
The S&P 500 inched into the green 0.46 points to 2,111.20, with consumer staples leading advancers and health care the greatest decliner.
The NASDAQ index lost 6.78 points to 4,981.11
Monster Beverage earned 72 cents U.S. per share for its latest quarter, 13 cents U.S. above estimates, while sales were also well above estimates. The company's results were helped by a jump in overseas sales.
J.C. Penney posted a breakeven quarter on an adjusted basis, falling short of the 11-cent U.S. consensus analyst estimate. Revenue was above forecasts, and comparable store sales did rise a better than expected 4.4%.
Gap, whose brands include Gap, Old Navy, and Banana Republic, earned 75 cents U.S. per share for its latest quarter, a penny above estimates, with revenue in line. Gap issued a conservative forecast for 2015, pointing to West Coast port disruptions and a stronger dollar.
The nutritional product maker Herbalife beat estimates by 19 cents U.S. with adjusted quarterly profit of $1.41 U.S. per share. However, revenue fell short of analyst forecasts, as does Herbalife's first quarter and full-year sales guidance. Herbalife, like others, said it would be negatively impacted by the effects of a stronger dollar.
The discount retailer Ross Stores reported quarterly profit of $1.20 U.S. per share, nine cents above estimates, with revenue also beating forecasts. Ross also increased its quarterly dividend to 23½ cents U.S. per share from 20 cents, and will buy back $1.4 billion U.S. in stock.
Fourth-quarter Gross Domestic Product stateside was revised to show growth of 2.2%. Analysts polled by Reuters expect GDP growth of 2.1%, after a final reading of 5% in the third quarter.
The Chicago Purchasing Managers Index came in at posted 45.8, the lowest since July 2009. Boockvar partly attributed the contraction level, not seen since April 2013, to the West Coast port strike.
Consumer sentiment came in at 95.4 for February, down from January's 98.1.
Pending home sales were the highest in 18 months, the National Association of Realtors said.
Prices for 10-year U.S. Treasuries were higher, lowering yields to 2% from Thursday’s 2.02%. Treasury prices and yields move in opposite directions.
Oil prices climbed 85 cents to $49.00 U.S.
Gold prices took on $7.30 an ounce to $1,217.40 U.S.
