Roger Biduk writes:
North American stock markets chalked up solid advances Thursday as investors reacted enthusiastically to moves by regulators in the United States and Britain to shore up the crisis ridden financial system.
Toronto's S&P/TSX composite index closed up 186.88 points to 12,064.57 at the end of a volatile session that saw the key index soar by as much as 503 points.
The move Thursday followed a 349-point tumble on Wednesday that took the main Canadian index to its lowest level in two years.
The TSX Venture Exchange moved 8.29 points higher to 1,477.88 while the Canadian dollar was up 0.62 cent to 94.18 cents US.
On the TSX, the financial sector rose 5.7 per cent and winners included Scotiabank (TSX:BNS), up $3.59 to $47.37, and Royal Bank (TSX:RY), ahead $3.24 to $47.99.
Great-West Lifeco Inc. (TSX:GWO) was up $1.58 to $32.02 after it said it holds C$448 million in investments related to Lehman Brothers and AIG.
The Toronto energy sector gained 1.2 per cent as the October crude contract on the New York Mercantile Exchange added 72 cents to US$97.88 a barrel, after going as high as US$102.24 earlier in the session.
EnCana Corp. (TSX:ECA) advanced $2.82 to $71.72 but Petro-Canada (TSX:PCA) fell $1.21 to $35.78.
The base metals sector advanced 3.6 per cent with Teck Cominco Ltd. (TSX:TCK.B) ahead $1.37 to $35.38.
Cameco Corp. (TSX:CCO) slipped $1.03 to $23.04 after it disclosed that its share of this year's uranium output from the McArthur River mine and Key Lake mill will be about six per cent lower than the previously expected 13.1 million pounds. Next year's production outlook is unchanged.
Gold continued a safe-haven surge which took bullion up by $70 an ounce Wednesday in its biggest-ever one-day gain in dollar terms. The near-month contract was up another $46.50 at US$897 an ounce on the New York Mercantile Exchange.
But the gold sector on the Toronto market lost four per cent. Shares in Goldcorp (TSX:G) fell $2.19 to $30.61.
On the TSX, declines beat advances 829 to 765 with 230 unchanged as 782 million shares traded worth $16.5 billion.
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Roger Biduk is an investment advisor and services clients in Montreal, Hudson, West Island and throughout the provinces of Quebec & Ontario.
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