Equities in Canada’s biggest market pulled themselves out of the red late Monday, and finished positive, with energy strength outdrawing losses in the health-care sector.
The TSX Composite Index pulled ahead 39.35 points to end Monday at 17,105.47
The Canadian dollar moved forward 0.15 cents to 77.13 cents U.S.
Health-care stocks were feeling around for the bruises by the closing bell, however, as HEXO shed 13 cents, or 6.3%, to $1.92, while Cronos Group fell 49 cents, or 5.3%, to $8.81.
Consumer discretionary stocks faltered, too, as MTY Food slid $1.04, or 1.8%, to $55.33, while Restaurant Brands International lost $1.75, or 2.1%, to $81.93.
Among materials, Hudbay Minerals ditched 23 cents, or 4.5%, to $4.94, while First Majestic Silver gave back 44 cents, or 2.8%, to $15.11.
Energy stocks made up for things, though, as Baytex Energy triumphed 14 cents, or 7.2%, to $2.09, while PrairieSky Royalty popped 70 cents, or 4.5%, to $16.11.
Tech stocks flourished, as BlackBerry gained 29 cents, or 3.4%, to $8.69, while Constellation Software jumped $21.94, or 1.7%, to $1,284.93.
Communications hiked, too, as Corus Entertainment took on a nickel to $5.41, while BCE added 53 cents to $60.23.
On the economic front, Statistics Canada’s industrial product price index edged up 0.1% in November, mainly because of higher prices for meat, fish and dairy products.
The Raw Materials Price Index was up 1.5% in November, primarily because of higher prices for crude energy products.
ON BAYSTREET
The TSX Venture Exchange lost 5.69 points to 581.75
Seven of the 12 TSX subgroups were lower to end the session, as health-care docked 1.6%, the consumer discretionary sector lost 0.6%, and materials dipped 0.2%.
The five gainers were led by energy, gaining 2%, information technology, up 1.1%, and communications, inching up 0.2%.
ON WALLSTREET
Stocks rose on Monday, recovering losses from earlier in the session as oil dipped despite rising geopolitical worries following last week’s U.S. killing of Iran’s top general.
The Dow Jones Industrials gained 68.5 points to 28,703.58, after falling 216 points earlier in the day.
The S&P 500 moved into positive territory by 11.43 points to 3,246.28,
The NASDAQ gained 50.69 points to 9,071.46.
Big tech stocks led the gains. Facebook and Amazon both rose more than 1%, and Netflix strengthened 3.1%, and Google-parent Alphabet advanced 2.7%, to an all-time high after an analyst at Pivotal Research upgraded them to buy from hold. The analyst cited new potential revenue streams under new CEO Sundar Pichai.
Monday’s gains were in contrast to Friday’s sharp decline. The Dow and S&P 500 had their worst trading day in a month on Friday, the morning after President Donald Trump approved a U.S. air strike in Baghdad that killed top Iranian Gen. Qasem Soleimani.
President Donald Trump said Sunday he could slap sanctions on Iraq after its parliament passed a resolution calling for the government to expel foreign troops from the country.
Meanwhile, the Iranian regime said Sunday it would not abide by the uranium-enrichment limits set by the 2015 nuclear deal.
Prices for the 10-Year U.S. Treasury sank, raising yields to 1.80% from Friday’s 1.79%. Treasury prices and yields move in opposite directions.
Oil prices dropped 22 cents to $63.83 U.S. a barrel.
Gold prices added $15.90 at $1,563.50 U.S. an ounce.
