Equities in Canada’s biggest centre had all the attention to itself, and gave investors positive readings to observe, mostly in health and communication stocks.
The TSX Composite gained 71.66 points to close Monday at 21,061.88.
The Canadian dollar backed off 0.12 cents to 74.47 cents U.S.
Health-care was among the premier subgroups Monday, powered by Tilray’s seven-cent, or 2.8%, improvement, to $2.60. Chartwell Retirement Residences gathered 18 cents, to 1.5%, to $11.99.
Communications also soared, with BCE leading the charge, up 76 cents, or 1.6%, to $55.58, while TELUS Corp. gained 38 cents, or 1.6%, to $24.68.
In utilities, Capital Power jumped $1.33, or 3.7%, to $37.50, while Transalta Corp. grabbed 24 cents, or 2.3%, to $10.63.
Materials, however, were in the minus column, with Filo Mining off $1.46, or 6.2%, to $22.24, while Stella-Jones descended $1.97, or 2.5%, to $78.64
In gold, Wesdome Gold dropped 19 cents, or 2.5%, to $7.29, while Torex Gold Resources slipped 26 cents, or 1.7%, to $14.71.
Elsewhere, Thomson Reuters raised its offer to buy Sweden’s Pagero by 25% to about $789 million and said it now controls about 54% of the company, seeking to fend off competing bids for the e-invoicing and tax solutions firm. Thomson shares moved into noon hour EST Monday up $2.41, or 1.2%, to $197.34.
On the economic board, Statistics Canada reported manufacturing sales rose 1.2% in November, mainly on higher sales in the chemical, primary metal, and machinery subsectors. Elsewhere, wholesale sales (excluding petroleum, petroleum products, and other hydrocarbons and excluding oilseed and grain) grew 0.9% to $82.5 billion in November.
Lastly, the Canadian Real Estate Association reported Monday home sales activity recorded over Canadian MLS® Systems rose 8.7% between November and December 2023, putting it on par with some of last year’s relatively stronger months recorded over the spring and summer.
Oil prices lost 18 cents to $72.50 U.S. a barrel.
Gold prices gained $7.40 to $2,059.00 U.S. an ounce.
ON BAYSTREET
The TSX Venture Exchange rebounded 8.24 points, or 1.5%, to conclude Monday at 564.42.
All but three of the 12 subgroups were higher, led by communications and health-care, each up 1.1%, and utilities, gaining 1%.
The three laggards proved to be materials, down 0.3%, consumer discretionary stocks, off 0.2%, and gold, fading 0.03%.
ON WALLSTREET
U.S. markets are closed Monday for Martin Luther King Day