Stocks in Toronto barely managed to hang onto gains Thursday, as the index showed something of a mixed performance between losing and gaining subgroups.
The TSX Composite Index finished but 7.29 points ahead of the breakeven point Thursday at 16,946.90
The Canadian dollar docked 0.04 cents at 75.87 cents U.S.
Bausch Health Companies, among the top percentage gainers on the TSX, rose $3.35, or 8.7% to $42.00, after JP Morgan upgraded the stock to "overweight".
Elsewhere, Aphria reached for the sky, gaining 51 cents, or 7.9%, to $6.96.
Energy stocks did well, too, as Baytex Energy gushed seven cents, or 4.5%, to $1.63, while EnCana hiked 21 cents, or 4%, to $5.53.
Among consumer discretionary issues, Linamar leaped $1.99, or 4.3%, to $48.11, while Dollarama hoisted $1.26, or 2.9%, to $44.79.
Among the laggards, Empire Company sank $3.30, or 9.4%, to $31.55, while Loblaw dipped $1.58, or 2.2%, to $70.11.
Real-estate got roughed up a bit, too, as Canadian Apartment Properties REIT docked $1.72, or 3.2%, to $52.50, while Dream Office REIT units got tagged 86 cents, or 2.8%, to $30.05.
In utilities, Brookfield Renewable Partners plunged $2.23, or 3.5%, to $61.33, while Altagas doffed 57 cents, or 2.9%. top $19.04.
ON BAYSTREET
The TSX Venture Exchange regained 0.2 points to 536.52
The 12 subgroups were evenly split, as health-care led gainers, picking up 5.5%, while energy sprouted 2.2%, and consumer discretionary stocks gained 1.1%.
The half-dozen gainers were weighed most by consumer staples, down 1.9%, while real-estate shed 1.6%, and utilities fell 1.2%.
ON WALLSTREET
Stocks jumped on Thursday as sources told the media a so-called phase-one trade deal between the U.S. and China has been agreed to in principle.
The Dow Jones Industrials rocketed 220.75 points to close out Thursday at 28,132.05.
The S&P 500 gained 26.94 points to 3,168.57, notching a record close.
The NASDAQ hurtled higher 63.27 points to 8,717.32, also posting an all-time closing high.
U.S. negotiators have the terms of the deal ready for President Donald Trump’s review. Reports circulated earlier in the day that said U.S. negotiators are offering to cancel new China tariffs and reduce existing levies on Chinese goods by up to 50% on $360 billion worth of imports.
The latest trade news comes ahead of a key Sunday deadline. If an agreement is not reached by Sunday, additional U.S. levies on Chinese products will take effect.
Caterpillar shares jumped 1.9% on Thursday while Micron Technology advanced 3.5%.
J.P. Morgan Chase, Bank of America and Citigroup all traded at least 1.6% higher.
Figures released Thursday by the U.S. Labor Department showed weekly jobless claims jumped last week by 49,000 to 252,000, their highest level since the week ended Sept. 30, 2017.
Prices for the 10-Year U.S. Treasury tumbled sharply raising yields to 1.90% from Wednesday’s 1.80%. Treasury prices and yields move in opposite directions.
Oil prices restocked 55 cents to $59.31 U.S. a barrel.
Gold prices slipped 40 cents at $1,474.60 U.S. an ounce.
