Equities in Canada’s largest centre overcame bad vibes earlier in Friday’s session, and finished the day and the week in plus territory, owing largely to prices for gold and other metals.
The S&P/TSX Composite Index gained 37.36 points to end Friday at 16,613.46.
Agnico Eagle Mines sprang up $2.11, or 3.9%, to $56.91, while Teck Resources surged 78 cents, or 2.5%, to $31.82.
In the gold patch, Barrick Gold acquired 17 cents, or 1%, to $17.50, while Kirkland Lake Gold jumped 99 cents, or 2.3%, to $43.47.
In health-care, Bausch Health Companies squeezed up four cents to $32.07.
Energy, however, proved an anchor on the markets, as Suncor Energy lost 35 cents to $44.36, while Imperial Oil skidded 75 cents, or 1.9%, to $39.19.
Industrials backpedaled, as Bombardier swooned 14 cents, or 5.7%, to $2.34, while Air Canada was grounded 14 cents to $31.82.
In consumer staples, Metro gave back 43 cents to $48.60, while Saputo docked 14 cents to $45.66.
ON BAYSTREET
The TSX Venture Exchange poked up 1.82 points to 610.69
All but three of the 12 Toronto subgroups gained on the session, with materials solidifying 2%, gold brighter by 1.6%, and health-care haler 1.2%.
The three laggards proved to be energy, sagging 1.5%, while industrials and consumer staples each stepped back 0.2%.
ON WALLSTREET
The S&P 500 and NASDAQ Composite closed at record highs on Friday as better-than-expected economic data offset a mixed batch of corporate earnings.
The Dow Jones Industrials leaped 81.25 points to end the week at 26,543.33, and closed 1.5% below its all-time high.
The S&P 500 regained 13.71 points to 2,939.88
The NASDAQ Composite progressed 27.72 to 8,146.40
But stock gains were kept in check after companies like Exxon Mobil and Intel delivered quarterly reports that disappointed investors.
Dow member Exxon fell more than 2% after reporting quarterly earnings per share that badly missed analyst expectations. The company’s results were dragged down by poor performances in its refining and chemicals businesses.
Intel, another Dow component, fell 9% after the company issued light revenue guidance for the year.
Those results overshadowed stronger-than-expected numbers from Companies like Amazon and Ford Motor.
Amazon shares traded 2.5% higher after results topped expectations on Thursday and Wall Street analysts trumpeted its announced push to one-day delivery for Prime members.
Ford Motor, meanwhile, jumped 10.7% after issuing better-than-forecast quarterly numbers, which were driven by strong truck and SUV sales in North America.
Other companies that reported between Thursday afternoon and Friday morning include, Mattel, Starbucks and American Airlines.
On the macroeconomic calendar, the U.S. Commerce Department revealed Friday that first-quarter gross domestic product was 3.2%, topping the consensus economist estimate of 2.5%, according to Dow Jones. An increase in exports drove the increase. The better-than-expected print was driven by a rise in exports.
Prices for the benchmark 10-year U.S. Treasury were marginally down, raising yields to 2.50% from Thursday’s 2.54%. Treasury prices and yields move in opposite directions.
Oil prices faded $2.38 to $62.83 U.S. a barrel.
Gold prices improved $8.60 to $1,288.30 U.S. an ounce.
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