Equities in Canada’s largest centre maintained gains by noon ET Monday, as strength across a range of sectors offset weakness among energy stocks as oil prices fell.
The S&P/TSX Composite hiked 38.59 points to greet noon at 14,823.88.
The Canadian dollar dropped 0.03 cents to 74.62 cents U.S.
The most influential weights included Suncor Energy, which fell 1.1% to $40.83, and Cenovus Energy fell 0.9% to $19.85.
The energy group retreated, with oil prices sliding after producers outside the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries made no specific commitment to join OPEC in limiting oil output to prop up prices, suggesting they want the oil producing group to solve its differences first.
The heavyweight financials group gained, with Toronto-Dominion Bank up 0.3% to $60.70 and Royal Bank of Canada adding 0.2% to $83.88.
Also among the most influential gainers was Canadian National Railway, which rose 0.2% to $84.63, and Barrick Gold, up 0.9% to $23.09.
On the economic front, Statistics Canada industrial product price index rose 0.4% in September, led by higher prices for energy and petroleum products, as well as motorized and recreational vehicles.
StatsCan also said its raw materials price index edged down 0.1% in the same month, as lower prices for animals and animal products were largely offset by higher prices for crude energy products.
ON BAYSTREET
The TSX Venture Exchange sagged 3.31 points to 772.56
All but two of the 12 TSX subgroups remained higher, with gold brightening 1.7%, materials perking 1.1%, and information technology clicking ahead 1%.
Energy, down 1.1%, and health-care, sliding 0.1%, proved the lone two laggards.
ON WALLSTREET
Stocks south of the border traded mostly higher on Monday, led by utilities, following a slew of corporate news and the release of solid economic data, but an investigation into new Hillary Clinton emails kept investors on edge.
The Dow Jones Industrials were 13.49 points to open Monday at 18,174.68, with Chevron contributing the most gains and Nike the most losses.
The S&P 500 gained 4.79 points at 2,131.20, with utilities rising more than 2%.
The NASDAQ composite index gained 10.2 points to 5,200.81. Earlier, the three major indexes dipped into negative territory.
Investors pored over corporate earnings, a merger announcement between Baker Hughes and General Electric, as well as economic data.
FBI Director James Comey said in a Friday letter to lawmakers that the agency is probing new emails related to the Democratic nominee. The emails were discovered during a separate investigation involving former Congressman Anthony Weiner.
Clinton's lead over her Republican counterpart, Donald Trump, has narrowed significantly since Friday's news broke
Consumer spending rose more than expected in September as households boosted purchases of motor vehicles and inflation increased steadily, which could bolster expectations of an interest rate hike from the Federal Reserve in December.
The Commerce Department said on Monday that consumer spending, which accounts for about 70% of U.S. economic activity, increased 0.5% after a downwardly revised 0.1% drop in August.
Other data released Monday included the Chicago PMI's October read, which came in at 50.6, well below a September print of 54.2. The Dallas Fed manufacturing survey showed a print of 6.7 for October, below a 16.7 read in September.
Prices for the 10-year Treasury were up, lowering yields to 1.84% from Friday’s 1.85%. Treasury prices and yields move in opposite directions.
Oil prices were lower $1.30 to $47.40 U.S. a barrel
Gold prices slumped $2.40 to $1,274.40 U.S. an ounce.
