TSX Enjoys Slight Gains to Finish Monday

Markets in Canada’s largest centre made the most of the time they had in the spotlight by themselves Monday, as health-care and tech stores led the way upward.

The S&P/TSX Composite Index ended Monday up 35.85 points to 17,944.88.

The Canadian dollar gained 0.12 cents to 78.45 cents U.S.

Among health-care’s champions, Aurinia Pharmaceuticals gained 92 cents, or 5.4%, to $17.84, while Trillium Pharmaceuticals took on 86 cents, or 4.6%, to $19.39.

In techs, BlackBerry galloped 72 cents, or 5.8%, to $13.20, while Lightspeed POS picked up $2.72, or 3%, to $92.06.

Among real-estate concerns, REAL Matters added 58 cents, or 3.2%, to $18.68, while Killam Apartment Real Estate Investment Trust units notched ahead 24 cents, or 1.1%, to $17.91.

Energy weakness weighed things down, though, as MEG Energy plummeted 25 cents, or 5.4%, to $4.39, while Vermilion Energy doffed 31 cents, or 4.6%, to $6.47.

In consumer staples, Primo Water Corp. gave back 21 cents, or 1%, to $20.55, while Saputo deducted 24 cents, or 0.7%, to $35.96.

Oil prices dipped 27 cents at $52.09 U.S. Gold prices were brighter $6.90 to $1,836.80.

ON BAYSTREET

The TSX Venture Exchange hiked 12.33 points, or 1.4%, to close Monday at 920.33.

All but two of the 12 TSX subgroups were positive to wrap up Monday, with health-care haler 1.3%, information technology surging 1.2%, and real-estate climbing 0.5%.

The two laggards proved to be energy, down 1.5%, and consumer staples, off 0.03%.

ON WALLSTREET

Markets are closed in the U.S. for Martin Luther King Day