Equities in Canada’s biggest market were in the green on St. Patrick’s Day, led primarily by mining and industrial issues.
The S&P/TSX Composite Index came off its highs of the day, but still amassed 143.17 points, or 1.1%, to end the day at 13,621.30
The Canadian dollar jumped 0.77 cents to 77cents U.S.
Metals and mining concerns led the way, jumping of a back of a 17.4% gain by Teck Resources, which acquired $1.72 to $11.58. First Majestic Silver gathered 18 cents, or 2.2%, to $8.36.
Industrials were in the spotlight as well, as Bombardier piled on nine cents, or 7.8%, to $1.24, while Canadian National Railway chugged ahead $1.88, or 2.4%, to $81.83.
Among energy plays, EnCana took on eight cents, or 1%, to $8.02, and Baytex Energy soared 13 cents, or 2.6%, to $5.17.
Gold stocks took their lumps, though, as Barrick Gold forked over 72 cents, or 3.6%, to $19.21, while rival Goldcorp dropped 45 cents, or 2%, to $21.85.
Health-care stocks had their misfortunes also, as much-maligned Valeant Pharmaceuticals slid $5.18, or 11.8%, to $38.66.
On the economic slate, Statistics Canada reported wholesale sales were flat in January at $57.0 billion, as gains in the machinery, equipment and supplies sub-sector were offset by lower sales in the motor vehicle and parts sub-sector. In volume terms, wholesale sales decreased 0.2% in January.
ON BAYSTREET
The TSX Venture Exchange gained 3.8 points to close Thursday at 579.2
All but three of the 13 TSX subgroups were higher Thursday, led by metals and mining, up 5.6%, industrials, surging 2.1%, and energy, up 1.9%.
Among the three laggards, gold slid 3.1%, health-care sank 2.5%, and materials were worse off 0.4%.
ON WALLSTREET
The Dow Jones industrial average closed in positive territory for 2016 on Thursday, as gains in materials and industrials led stocks higher. A rise in oil prices and a positive view of the Federal Reserve's Wednesday announcements also helped stocks.
The Dow climbed 155.73 points to 17,481.49, as Boeing and Goldman Sachs contributed the most to gains. Transports surged, such as FedEx, which climbed $17.07, or 11.8%, to $161.34 U.S.
The S&P 500 recovered 15.6 points to 2,042.82. Materials, energy and industrials traded more than 2% higher each to pump the S&P 500 higher.
The NASDAQ index gained back 11.01 points to 4,754.58, even as Apple struggled for gains, falling 17 cents to $105.80 U.S.
In corporate news, Caterpillar cut its first-quarter earnings and revenue guidance, but said it remains comfortable with its prior full-year forecast. The stock traded $1.56, or 2.1%, higher in end-of-day trade to $75.90 U.S.
Economically speaking, weekly jobless claims in the States came in at 265,000. The March Philly Fed index was 12.4 versus minus 2.8 for February.
Fourth-quarter current account data showed a deficit of $125.3 billion U.S.
January's Job Openings and Labour Turnover Survey (JOLTS for short) showed a separations rate of 3.4% versus 3.5% in December.
Prices for the 10-year Treasury gained slightly, dropping yields to 1.90% from Wednesday’s 1.92%. Treasury prices and yields move in opposite directions.
Oil prices gained $1.65 a barrel to $40.11 U.S.
Gold prices waned $5.87 to $1,256.70 U.S. an ounce.
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