Stocks throughout North America finished Friday much the way they started it, with booming gains pretty much up and down the board.
The TSX recovered 93.46 points to close Friday at 16,675.64. On the week, the index vaulted 392 points, or 2.41%.
The Canadian dollar backtracked 0.03 cents to 76.08 cents U.S.
Health-care stocks carried much of the load Friday, with Trillium Pharmaceuticals picking up $1.96, or 10.6%, to $20.43, and Aphria triumphing 37 cents, or 5.2%, to $7.50.
Energy stocks were the next largest gainer, with Husky Energy up 21 cents, or 4.9%, to $4.51, while Cenovus Energy gained 25 cents, or 4.7%, to $5.62.
In the consumer discretionary sector, Linamar Corp. improved $1.69, or 3%, to $58.15, while Spin Master Corp. advanced 82 cents, or 2.7%, to $31.15.
Consumer staples, particularly grocers, did not fare so well, as Loblaw dumped $1.90, or 2.8%, to $65.70, while Empire Company settled 85 cents, or 2.3%, to $36.24.
In the utilities area, Innergex Renewable Energy docked 64 cents, or 2.7%, to $23.25, while Northland Power shed $1.04, or 2.4%, to $42.82.
In communications, Telus ditched 26 cents, or 1.1%, to $24.80, while Rogers lost 43 cents to $59.93.
ON BAYSTREET
The TSX Venture Exchange gained 5.27 points to 736.41, for a loss on the week of nearly six points, or 0.8%.
All but three of the 12 TSX subgroups were in the plus column Friday, as health-care sprinted 3.4%, energy popped 1.7%, and consumer discretionary stocks soared 1.6%.
The three laggards were consumer staples, down 0.8%, utilities, off 0.6%, and communications, sliding 0.4%.
ON WALLSTREET
U.S. stocks rose on Friday as investors bet again on stocks that would benefit from a potentially effective vaccine and economic recovery next year.
The Dow Jones Industrials spiked 399.64 points or 1.4%, to 29,479.81.
The S&P 500 marched 48.14 points, or 1.4%, to 3,585.15, and posted a record closing high.
The NASDAQ re-stocked 119.7 points, or 1%, to 11,829.29.
The Dow rose 4.1% for the week, and the S&P 500 closed 2.16% higher over that time period. The tech-heavy NASDAQ lost 0.6% this week, notching its third weekly loss in four weeks.
Shares of cruise operator Carnival rose more than 7%. United Airlines and Boeing were both up more than 5%. Disney closed 2.1% higher on the back of better-than-expected quarterly numbers. At the sector level, energy and industrials rose 3.8% and 2.2%, respectively, to lead the S&P 500 higher. Financials were up more than 1%.
The pause in the rally this week came as the number of coronavirus cases, and hospitalizations, keeps climbing in the U.S. An analysis of data compiled by Johns Hopkins University showed average daily new cases are up by at least 5% over the past week in at least 47 states.
Hospitalizations, meanwhile, are rising in at least 46 states.
Sentiment on Thursday soured even further after Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell said the country’s economic outlook remained uncertain. “With the virus spreading, the next few months could be challenging,” he said.
Prices for the 10-Year Treasury were slightly lower, raising yields to 0.9% from Thursday’s 0.9%. Treasury prices and yields move in opposite directions.
Oil prices fell 99 cents to $40.13 U.S. a barrel.
Gold prices advanced $13.60 to $1,889.80
