Canada's main stock index found itself narrowly in positive range by the end of Friday’s session, as the latest domestic data showed that economic growth was in line with expectations in the third quarter.
The S&P/TSX Composite Index progressed 18.95 points to end Friday and the week at 15,212.99, after spending much of the day in the red.
The Canadian dollar docked 0.11 cents at 75.21 U.S.
Among the largest percentage gainers on the TSX was Sleep Country, which jumped 80 cents, or 3.8%, to $22.00, after announcing a deal to buy online mattress retailer Endy. Elsewhere in consumer discretionary stocks, Canada Goose Holdings soared above the competition, gaining $3.47, or 4%, to $89.69.
Health-care shares also pulled ahead, mostly, Bausch Health Companies, stronger by 78 cents, or 2.5%, to $32.34, while Canopy Growth took on 28 cents to $44.48.
In the industrial sector, Air Canada got lift of 39 cents, or 1.4%, to $29.04, while Bombardier improved seven cents, or 3.2%, to $2.24.
On the downside, Precision Drilling fell two cents, to $3.06, while Imperial Oil doffed 91 cents, or 2.2%, to $39.65.
Among gold concerns, Eldorado Gold fought its way to the breakeven point at 76 cents, surviving a mostly down day, while Barrick Gold shuffled off 39 cents, or 2.3%, to $16.95.
In the economic docket, Statistics Canada reported Friday morning that gross domestic product grew 0.5% in the third quarter, following a 0.7% increase in the second quarter.
Real GDP edged down 0.1% in September, following seven consecutive months of growth.
The agency’s industrial product price index rose 0.2% in October, mostly driven by higher prices for meat, fish, and dairy products.
The raw materials price index fell 2.4%, mainly as a result of lower prices for crude energy products.
ON BAYSTREET
The TSX Venture Exchange fell 1.95 points to end Friday at 589.17
The 12 TSX subgroups were evenly divided between gainers and losers, as health-care, industrials and consumer discretionary stocks each gained 0.6%.
The half-dozen laggards were co-weighed by gold and energy, each fading 0.7%, and consumer staples, off 0.1%.
ON WALLSTREET
Stocks rose on Friday after a Chinese official reportedly said the U.S. and China are finding common ground on trade ahead of a key meeting between President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average survived a largely negative morning, before vaulting 199.62 points to close the day, week and month at 25,538.46,
The S&P 500 remained higher 22.4 points, to 2,760.16. The NASDAQ gained 57.45 points to 7,330.54
Friday also marked the last trading day of November. Barring a major selloff on Friday, two of the major indexes were on pace to post solid gains for the month. The Dow is up 0.9% in November, while the S&P 500 has risen 1%.
The Dow is also on pace to register its biggest one-week gain since late 2016, while the S&P 500 is on track to post its largest weekly rise since February.
Reuters reported that a Chinese official said "consensus is steadily increasing" in U.S.-China trade talks. The official added, according to the report, those differences between the two countries remained. The report sent stocks to their highs of the day, erasing earlier losses.
Trump and Xi are scheduled to have dinner on Saturday and are expected to discuss trade issues between the two countries. Investors are eagerly looking ahead to the dinner as they have fretted over the impact of U.S. and China tariffs on the global economy and corporate earnings.
U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer said Friday he expected the meeting to be a "success," raising hope that a trade truce between the world's largest economies could be struck.
Caterpillar garnered 4.4%, and Boeing rose 0.8%. These stocks are considered bellwethers for global trade because of their high exposure to foreign markets.
Shares of World Wrestling Entertainment traded 6.7% higher after J.P. Morgan Chase upgraded them to overweight from neutral, noting the company's valuation is attractive compared to industry peers.
Prices for the benchmark for the 10-year U.S. Treasury rose sharply, thus lowering yields to 3% from Thursday’s 3.03%. Treasury prices and yields move in opposite directions.
Oil prices dipped 75 cents to $50.70 U.S. a barrel.
Gold prices lost three dollars to $1,227.40 U.S. an ounce.
