Toronto stocks settled Monday, on a day lacking in economic data that could otherwise have steered them one way or the other.
The S&P/TSX composite index drooped 11.71 points to open the last week of April at 15,396.62
The Canadian dollar gained 0.41cents to 82.49 cents U.S.
Leading the charge, as has been so often the case in recent weeks, was the metals and mining sector, spearheaded by Capstone Mining, growing five cents, or 3.5%, in price to $1.49, while Sherritt International gained seven cents, or 3.2%, to $2.25.
Gold stocks also shone brighter as Barrick Gold moved higher 24 cents, or 1.6%, to $15.48, while Sandstorm Gold took on 10 cents, or 2.4%, to $4.23.
Information technology issues were in the red, however, as Wi-Lan Inc. retreated four cents, or 1.2%, to $3.20.
Telecoms were also weak, with BCE moving downward 39 cents to $54.27.
ON BAYSTREET
The TSX Venture Exchange inched up 0.38 points to 697.70
Nine of the 14 Toronto subgroups were higher, with metals and mining up 1.4%, gold better by 1.1%, and global base metals improving 0.7%
The five laggards were weighed mostly by information technology, demurring 0.3%, while real-estate and telecoms each ducked lower 0.1%.
ON WALLSTREET
U.S. stocks traded higher on Monday, extending gains from last week's rally to highs, as investors took a positive view on earnings reports ahead of the Federal Reserve meeting this week.
The Dow Jones Industrials jumped 62.66 points to start out the week at 18,142.80
The S&P 500 index moved higher 6.28 points from Friday’s all-time high to 2,123.97
The NASDAQ index gained 19.47 points from Friday’s record to 5,111.56
Investor focus will be on Apple fiscal second-quarter results due after the bell. TD Ameritrade's Kinahan noted that options were pricing a 4.8% move in the stock.
The Street expects the Cupertino, California-based powerhouse to deliver earnings of $2.16 U.S. per share on revenue of $56.06 billion U.S., according to analysts' estimates from Thomson Reuters. That's a 30% and 23% increase year over year, respectively.
And while Wall Street will be watching iPhone sales, investors will also be listening for an update on Apple's capital return program.
Earnings from the likes of Jones Lang LaSalle and Rent-A-Center are also expected after the market closes.
Before the bell, major earnings on Monday included Canon and Restaurant Brands.
Restaurant Brands International, the parent of Burger King and Tim Hortons, reported that first-quarter revenue more than doubled compared with the fourth quarter of 2014, helped by product launches and promotions.
In economic news, U.S. services sector expansion eased slightly in April from a seven-month high in March on a dip in new business growth, but the pace of hiring in the sector accelerated to its highest since last June, an industry report showed on Monday.
The U.S. Federal Reserve is meeting on Tuesday and Wednesday this week, with the conclusion and post-meeting statement due Wednesday.
The recent string of weak data and first-quarter growth expected at around 1% has convinced many in the markets that the Fed will not raise interest rates until September at the earliest.
Prices for 10-year U.S. Treasuries sagged, raising yields to 1.94% from Friday’s 1.91%. Treasury prices and yields move in opposite directions.
Oil prices regained 27 cents to $57.42 U.S.
Gold prices hiked $10.30 to $1,185.30 U.S.
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