Equity markets in Toronto had much of the North American stage all to themselves Thursday, but ducked below the breakeven line.
The S&P/TSX Composite finished Thursday down 5.71 points 15,075.20
The Canadian dollar reacquired 0.04 cents at 74.19 cents U.S.
The small health-care sector was buzzing, helped by Valeant Pharmaceuticals International advancing 64 cents, or 2.8%, to $23.49. Rival Concordia International vaulted 26 cents, or 7.8%, to $3.58.
Other influential movers included First Quantum Minerals, which advanced 70 cents, or 4.4% to $16.69, and Teck Resources, up 12 cents at $35.93.
Copper prices advanced 2.6% to $5,888 U.S. a tonne, helped by expectations of inflation in China and the United States, and signs of growing strength in the U.S. manufacturing sector.
Among energy plays, pipeline company Enbridge Inc slipped 54 cents to $57.40. EnCana Corp. dwindled six cents to $16.64.
Industrials rose with Canadian National Railway rose 14 cents to $89.27. Bombardier, meanwhile, jumped three cents, or 1.6%, to $1.93.
Consumer staples finished lower, though, with Premium Brands off 86 cents, or 1.2%, to $68.87, while Loblaw Companies lost 39 cents to $68.88.
Oil prices gained back two cents to $47.98 U.S. a barrel
Gold prices hesitated $5.70 at $1,183.60 U.S. an ounce.
On the economic beat, Statistics Canada reported that average weekly earnings of non-farm payroll employees were $957.00 in September, down 0.1% from the previous month and up 0.4% from 12 months earlier.
Moreover, non-farm payroll employees worked an average of 32.7 hours per week in September, unchanged from the previous month and down from 33.0 hours in September 2015.
ON BAYSTREET
The TSX Venture Exchange eked higher 1.78 points to 731.87
Eight of the 12 TSX subgroups were higher on the day, with health-care stocks growing 0.8%, and with information technology and materials each climbing 0.3%.
The four laggards were weighed by consumer staples, skidding 0.5%, consumer discretionary stocks, down 0.2%, while energy faded 0.1%.
ON WALLSTREET
Markets are closed for Thanksgiving, to re-open for half a day Friday.
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