Stocks in Canada’s biggest centre advanced to their highest in a month on Tuesday, lifted by strength in its energy and mining sectors as oil, copper and other commodities prices climbed.
The S&P/TSX composite index zoomed 151.58 points, or 1%, to move into Tuesday’s noon hour at 15,252.23.
The Canadian dollar dropped 0.06 cents to 80.06 cents U.S.
Shares of energy producers rose 1.5% as the U.S. crude oil price extended gains. Canadian Natural Resources added 2.8% to $41.39, and Suncor Energy was up 1.4% at $39.26.
Among materials, First Quantum Minerals rose 2% to $16.45, and Potash Corp gained 1.6% to $41.51.
Among tech stocks, DragonWave sprinted out 5.6% to 76 cents, while BlackBerry gathered 0.8% to $11.74.
Gold stocks did not fare so well, as Asanko Gold slid 2.5% to $1.93, and Argonaut Gold decreased 2.4% to $2.01.
ON BAYSTREET
The TSX Venture Exchange gained 1.60 points to 690.26
All but two of the 14 Toronto subgroups were higher, as energy hiked 2.1%, information technology built up 1.6% and health-care stocks were 1.2% haler.
The two laggards were gold, down 0.8%, and materials, off 0.2%.
ON WALLSTREET
U.S. stocks traded higher on Tuesday as investors eyed weaker oil prices and renewed dollar strength ahead of the unofficial beginning of earnings season on Wednesday.
The Dow Jones Industrials added 85.85 points to break for lunch at 17,966.70, with Johnson and Johnson leading advancers and American Express the greatest laggard.
The S&P 500 index gained 6.54 points to 2,087.16, with health-care leading nine sectors higher and utilities the only laggard.
The NASDAQ index climbed 24.21 points to 4,941.52.
Earnings expected on Tuesday include Dave & Buster's after the bell. Alcoa posts results after the bell on Wednesday in the unofficial start to the earnings season.
FedEx will buy Europe's TNT Express for $4.8 billion U.S., pending regulatory approval. That approval was not forthcoming two years ago when FedEx competitor UPS tried to buy TNT but was rebuffed by competition officials.
Starbucks will expand its college tuition assistance program to cover the total cost of an online bachelor's degree.
Intel will change its financial reporting structure, effective on the presentation of its fiscal first quarter results on April 14. The changes reflect the combination of the chip maker's PC Client Group and Mobile and Communications Group to form its new Client and Computing Group.
Viacom announced a realignment that will result in a new structure, job cuts, and a $785-million U.S. pre-tax charge for the second quarter.
Stateside, the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS) showed there were 5.1 million job openings on the last business day of February, little changed from the prior month, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported on Tuesday.
The number of quits and hires were about the same in February as they were in January.
The only other economic report due is consumer credit at 3:00 p.m.
Prices for 10-year U.S. Treasuries sagged a bit, raising yields to 1.92% from Monday’s 1.90%. Treasury prices and yields move in opposite directions.
Oil prices regained 84 cents to $52.98 U.S.
Gold prices dropped $6.20 to $1,212.40 U.S.
