TSX Ends On Positive Note

(RTTNews) - The Canadian stock market ended modestly higher on Thursday, lifted by gains in consumer staples and materials sections. A few stocks from the industrial space moved up as well.

Shares from energy and healthcare sectors declined sharply. Shares from the rest of the sectors turned in a mixed performance.

Investors followed news about the spread of the delta variant of the coronavirus infection, and also reacted to data showing a drop in private sector employment in the month of June.

The benchmark S&P/TSX Composite Index, which drifted down to 20,092.93 in early trades, advanced to a high of 20,214.64 later on in the session and finally settled at 20,283.72, gaining 36.48 points or 0.18%.

Consumer staples shares Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc (ATD.B.TO), Loblaw (L.TO) and Weston George (WN.TO) gained 5.75%, 1.5% and 1.3%, respectively.

Among materials shares, B2Gold Corp (BTO.TO), Hudbay Minerals (HBM.TO), Yamana Gold (YRI.TO), Franco-Nevada Corporation (FNV.TO) and Ssr Mining (SSRM.TO) gained 2.5 to 4.7%.

Industrials shares Tfi International (TFII.TO) and Canadian Pacific Railway (CP.TO) gained 1.65% and 1.5%, respectively.

Energy stock MEG Energy (MEG.TO) tumbled 5.2%. Crescent Point Energy (CPG.TO), Enerplus Corp (ERF.TO), Whitecap Resources (WCP.TO) and Vermilion Energy (VET.TO) ended lower by 2 to 3%. Tourmaline Oil Corp (TOU.TO), Suncor Energy (SU.TO), Canadian Natural Resources (CNQ.TO), Imperial Oil (IMO.TO) and Cenovus Energy (CVE.TO) also closed notably lower.

Healthcare stocks Tilray Inc (TLRY.TO), Aurora Cannabis (ACB.TO) and Bausch Health Companies (BHC.TO) ended lower by 3.4%, 1.6% and 1.05%, respectively.

Data from ADP said Canadian private businesses fired 294,200 workers in June, compared to 318,700 in the previous month.

Data from Statistics Canada said car registrations in Canada decreased to 151,912 units in May from 166,709 units in April.