Roger Biduk; Banks Lift Bay Street

Roger Biduk;

Stocks in Canada gained Wednesday, with the financial sector leading the market higher, as investors were cheered by a relatively small decline in Toronto-Dominion Bank's first-quarter net income.
In Toronto, the S&P/TSX Composite (ISPTX) closed up 73 points, or 0.9%, at 7,932.3 points. On Tuesday, the index rose 2.8%, tracking a rally on Wall Street.
Advancers led decliners 744 to 742.

The S&P/TSX Capped Financial Index jumped 3.08% today.
NB Split (NBF) soared 34.00% to $3.35. 5Banc Split (FBS.B) jumped 30.00%. Premium Income (PIC.A) higher by 29.44%. Dividend 15 Split (DF) gained 17.57% to $2.61.
Savanna Enegy Serv. (SVY) tanked 9.63% to $4.88. Gluskin Sheff & Ass. (GS) sank 6.76% to $8.00. Livingston Int’l. inc. (LIV.UN) down 6.70% to $3.90. Euitable Gr. (ETC) lower by 6.11% to $10.29.
Kicking off the Canadian bank earnings season, Toronto-Dominion Bank (TD) reported that its net income fell to C$712 million in the first quarter ended Jan. 31, down from C$970 million a year earlier. Adjusted net income fell to C$1.14 billion compared with C$1.06 billion a year earlier.
The bank reported earnings of 82 cents a share, compared with C$1.33 cents a share a year ago. It said that it expects "a worsening economic environment." Shares of the bank closed up 1.7%
Elsewhere in the sector, Royal Bank of Canada (RY) gained 5.3% and the Bank of Nova Scotia (BNS) added 4.2%. Bank of Montreal (BMO) slid 0.9%.

Roger Biduk;
The March crude contract on the New York Mercantile Exchange
soared 6.36% to US$42.50 a barrel and the S&P/TSX Energy Index was 1.87% higher. Natural gas lost 3.93% to $4.03.
Phoenis Tech. Income Fund (PHX.UN) soared 14.65 to $5.79. Zargon Energy Tr. (ZAR.UN) jumped 11.11% to $15.40. Verenex Energy Tr. (VNX) rose 10.64% to $7.80. Trinidad Drilling (TDG) gained 7.59% to $2.55. Petrobank Energy & Res. (PBG) up 6.90% to $19.22.
NuVista Energy (NVA) sank 8.45% to $5.20. Eveready (EIS) down 6.94% to $3.35.

The S&P/TSX Capped Industrial Index dropped 1.34%.
West Fraser Timer (WFT) jumped 8.59% to $26.17.

The S&P/TSX Capped Information Technology Index rose 1.42% and the S&P/TSX Capped Telecom Services Index was down .44%.
Aastra Tech. (AAH) soared 46.70% to $13.76. Evertz Tech. (ET) jumped 13.78% to $11.15. Gennum (GND) gained 10.53% to $4.20. Torstar (TS.B) up 5.10% to $6.39.

In the mining sector, several producers' shares pared earlier gains or registered losses as gold prices slid.
The S&P/TSX Global Gold Index lost .21% as the April bullion contract in New York lost $3.30 to US$966.20 an ounce.
Jaguar Mining (JAG) lost 5.24% to $6.87.
Moto Goldmines (MGL) soared 29.17% to $3.10. US Gold Corp. (UXG) jumped 5.93% to $2.50. Gabriel Res. (GBU) rose 5.51% to $2.68.
Shares in Yamana Gold Inc. (YRI) ended 1.9% higher. Shares of Equinox Minerals Limited (EQN) fell 2.3%. Barrick Gold Corp. (ABX) closed 0.4% lower.

Roger Biduk;
Shares of Agrium Inc. (AGU), a producer of fertilizers and other agricultural products, tumbled 8.5% after it launched an unsolicited bid Wednesday for CF Industries Holdings (US:CF), which itself is making a hostile bid for another firm, Terra Industries (US:TRA).
Calgary-based Agrium said it's bidding $3.6 billion of cash and stock for CF Industries Holdings in a deal that would add CF's North American nitrogen, phosphate and crop nutrient distribution assets to Agrium's global wholesale and retail capabilities.

The S&P/TSX Capped Utilities Index gained .90%.

The S&P/TSX Consumer Discretionary Index was .54% lower and the S&P/TSX Consumer Staples Index was down .52%.
Richelieu Hardware (RCH) jumped 6.20% to $16.97.
Maple Leaf Foods (MFI) sank 7.21% to $8.75.

The S&P/TSX Capped Diversified Metals & Mining Index gained .47% as aluminum gained 1.65%, copper gained 2.47% and silver dropped .86% to $13.91.
Sherritt Int’l. (S) tanked 18.92% to $2.10. Osisko Mining (OSK) sank 5.38% to $4.40. Jaguar Mining (JAG) lower by 5.24% to $6.87.
Ivanhoe Mines (IVN) jumping 10.33% to $5.66. Timminco (TIM) higher by 9.86% to $3.12. Hanfeng Evergreen (HF) up 8.24% to $6.96. Altus Min. (ALS) rising 6.04% to $6.50.

Shares of Bombardier Inc. (BBD.B) fell 1.4%. The company said Wednesday that Bombardier Transportation has been awarded a contract in Australia by the Victorian government to build 32 rail cars valued at about $95 million.
Some energy companies reversed higher as oil prices rallied more than 6% to $42.50 a barrel.
Shares of Talisman Energy Inc. (TLM) ended 3.6% higher and shares of Suncor Energy Inc. (SU) gained 1.5%.

Roger Biduk;
The S&P/TSX Capped Health Care Index was higher by 1.34%.
QLT (QLT) jumped 7.32% to $2.20. Atrium Innovastions (ATB) higher by 6.50% to $14.75.

In the service sector, Hartco Inc. Fund (HCI.UN) tanked to 23.08% to $2.30. Guardian Capital GR. (GCG.A) sank 6.25% to $3.00. Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers (RBA) down 6.16% to $19.20. Weston Gr. (WN) down 5.26% to $59.85.

www.rogerbiduk.ca
www.rogerbiduk.wordpress.com
www.rogerbiduk.blogspot.com
http://bestcatanddognutrition.wordpress.com/