TSX Ends Higher Again

(RTTNews) - Despite a sluggish start, the Canadian stock market ended on a firm note on Friday thanks to fairly encouraging U.S. jobs data that helped ease concerns about growth in the world's largest economy.

Shares from materials, information technology and financial sections moved higher. A few stocks from consumer discretionary sector too posted strong gains. Healthcare stocks declined. Consumer staples were weak as well, while energy and industrials shares ended mixed.

The benchmark S&P/TSX Composite Index ended up 80.32 points, or 0.49%, at 16,449.35, slightly off the day's high of 16,453.18. In early trades, the index edged down to 16,362.01.

The index lost 1.46% in the week.

Among the stocks that moved up on strong volumes, Bombardier Inc. (BBD.B.TO) moved up nearly 4.5%. Barrick Gold Corporation (ABX.TO) gained 2.7%.

Canadian Natural Resources (CNQ.TO) and Kinross Gold Corporation (K.TO) gained about 1.1% each. Royal Bank of Canada (RY.TO) and Bank of Nova Scotia (BNS.TO) ended modestly higher.

Linamar Corporation surged up 4.5%. Cargojet (CJT.TO), Franco-Nevada Corporation (FNV.TO), Waste Connections (WCN.TO), Agnico Eagle Mines (AEM.TO) and Canadian Tire Corporation (CTC.A.TO) also closed on a firm note.

Aurora Cannabis (ACB.TO), Crescent Point Energy (CPG.TO), ARC Resources (ARX.TO) and First Quantum Minerals (FM.TO) lost 1.4 to 3%.

Canopy Growth Corporation (WEED.TO), Bausch Health Companies (BHC.TO) and Canada Goose Holdings (GOOS.TO) also ended sharply lower.

On the economic front, Canada's trade gap decreased to C$ 0.96 billion in August 2019 from an upwardly revised C$ 1.38 billion in the previous month. Canada's trade surplus with the United States widened from C$ 4.4 billion in July to C$ 4.9 billion in August.

U.S. stocks ended sharply higher following the release of a closely watched Labor Department report showing weaker than expected job growth but an unexpected drop in the unemployment rate to a nearly 50-year low.

The data reinforced expectations the Federal Reserve will continue cutting interest rates and offset concerns about a potential recession.

The Dow, the Nasdaq and S&P 500, all ended higher by 1.4%.

Asian markets turned in a mixed performance on Friday, while most of the markets in Europe, including the major ones, ended on a bright note.

In commodities, West Texas Intermediate Crude oil futures for November ended up $0.36, or about 0.7%, at $52.81 a barrel.

Gold futures for December ended down $0.90, or nearly 0.1%, at $1,512.90 an ounce, after having eased to $1,501.40 in morning trades.

Silver futures for December ended down $0.051, at $17.625 an ounce, while Copper futures for December settled higher by $0.0090, at $2.5625 per pound.