Equities in Canada’s largest market held onto the gains they’d enjoyed pretty much throughout the week, as health-care stocks flowered and bank stocks prospered.
The S&P/TSX Composite gained 17 points to close the day and week at 15,312.20
The Canadian dollar added 0.07 cents to 75.88 cents U.S.
Health-care stocks were strongest, with Concordia International taking on 15 cents, or 5.2%, to $3.06, though Valeant Pharmaceuticals were unchanged at $20.37.
Consumer staples were in the green, too, as Metro gained 19 cents to $40.70, while Loblaw Companies moved higher 61 cents to $71.29.
Among financials, Royal Bank of Canada advanced 87 cents, or nearly 1% to $90.30 and Toronto-Dominion Bank rose 58 cents to $65.75.
Fairfax Financial Holdings shares slipped $3.21, however, or 0.5%, to $605.77, as its subsidiary, one of the shareholders who helped keep Bank of Ireland out of state hands in 2011, is selling half of its remaining stake in the Irish lender.
Gold stocks, on the other hand, took it on the chin Friday, as Barrick Gold retreated 62 cents, or 3%, to $20.38, while Goldcorp settled 46 cents, or 2.6%, to $17.39.
Among materials stocks, Teck Resources dumped $1.40, or 4.3%, to $31.00.
ON BAYSTREET
The TSX Venture Exchange demurred 0.7 points to 748.8
Eight of the 12 TSX subgroups closed the week higher, led by health-care, up 1.2%, consumer staples gained 0.8%, and financials, better by 0.7%.
Gold weighed the four laggards, slumping 3.8%, materials were down 2.2%, and information technology issues shied away 0.3%.
ON WALLSTREET
U.S. equities closed at all-time highs on Friday, as the major indexes posted their best week since the Nov. 8 presidential election.
The Dow Jones Industrials trampled Thursday’s all-time high, acquiring 142.04 points to 19,756.85, with Pfizer leading advancers and Caterpillar the biggest decliner.
The S&P 500 gained 13.34 points to 2,259.53, also hitting record levels, with consumer staples leading nine sectors higher and materials lagging.
The NASDAQ composite index climbed 27.14 points to 5,444.50, as Apple advanced more than 1.5%.
The Dow, S&P 500, and NASDAQ also did something they haven't done in more than five years: all three rose each day of this trading week. The last time all three rose every day during the same trading week was September 2011.
All the major indexes have been hitting record highs since the election of Donald Trump as U.S. president. In fact, the Dow has notched 14 record closes and gains in 20 of the past 24 sessions, entering Friday. The major indexes were also set to post weekly gains of at least 2%.
In economic news, consumer sentiment for December hit its highest level since January 2015 and wholesale inventories for October showed a decline of 0.4%
Treasury prices for the 10-year note slouched, raising yields to 2.47% from Thursday’s 2.4%. Treasury prices and yields move in opposite directions.
Oil prices moved up 65 cents to $51.49 U.S. a barrel
Gold prices slid $12.20 to $1,162.60 U.S. an ounce.
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