Toronto stock markets still managed to find some upward mobility, amid a good deal of uncertainty Friday morning, as data left some investors scratching their heads.
The S&P/TSX composite index found its way higher 21.64 points to begin Friday at 13,788.31, after scaling nearly 400 points higher Thursday.
The Canadian dollar moved down 0.54 cents to 75.23 cents U.S.
Brookfield Asset Management on Friday made its first significant investment in Indian infrastructure, buying six road and three power projects from India's Gammon Infrastructure Projects Limited.
Brookfield shares lost 16 cents to $42.05.
First Quantum Minerals launched production at its $2.1-billion copper Sentinel mine which has been under construction since June 2012.
The mine would produce 280,000 to 300,000 tonnes of copper per year at full production from one large low-grade ore body containing 0.5% copper.
First Quantum shares inched higher four cents to $6.91.
RBC raised the target price on CIBC to $109.00 from $97.00 as the company is actively promoting a return of capital and raised its quarterly dividend for the fourth consecutive quarter to $1.12 per share and announced a share repurchase program for up to eight million shares.
Commerce shares ditched 30 cents to $95.30.
RBC raised the target price on TD Bank to $61.00 from $55.00 as the company showed evidence of cost control as non-interest expenses came in better than our expectations this quarter.
TD shares gave back a quarter to $52.35.
Scotiabank reported third-quarter net income of $1.847 billion, compared with net income of $2.351 billion in the same period last year. Scotiabank shares dipped 52 cents to $59.46.
In a week light on economic news, Statistics Canada reported this morning that its industrial product price index increased 0.7% in July, due mostly to higher vehicle prices, while its raw materials price index went south 5.9% during the same month, led by lower prices for crude energy products.
ON BAYSTREET
The TSX Venture Exchange added 4.95 points to 550.50
Eight of the 14 TSX subgroups were positive at the outset, as gold surged 3%, energy climbed 1.6%, and global base metals strengthened 1.1%.
The half-dozen laggards were weighed most by utilities and financials, each down 0.5%, and consumer staples, off 0.4%.
ON WALLSTREET
U.S. stocks traded mildly lower on Friday in the final day of a volatile trading week as investors eyed data and Federal Reserve speakers.
The Dow Jones industrial average erased 53.49 points from two straight days of major gains to 16,601.28, with Goldman Sachs leading decliners and Chevron the greatest advancer.
The S&P 500 dropped 3.4 points to 1,984.26.
The NASDAQ index moved lower 7.17 points to 4,804.54, Apple traded mildly lower.
The final read on August consumer confidence from the University of Michigan came in at 91.9, slightly lower than the initial print and July's figure.
Other data showed an increase of 0.4% in personal income and an increase of 0.3% in consumer spending.
Prices for 10-year U.S. Treasuries gained ground, lowering yields to 2.15% from Thursday’s 2.19%. Treasury prices and yields move in opposite directions.
Oil prices fell 10 cents a barrel to $42.66 U.S.
Gold prices gained $12.60 to $1,135.20 U.S. an ounce.
