MONEY IN BRIEF

Currencies

These are indicative wholesale rates for foreign currency provided by the Bank of Canada on Wednesday. Quotations in Canadian funds. Australia dollar Brazil real China renminbi Euro Hong Kong dollar India rupee Indonesia rupiah Japan yen Malaysia ringgit Mexico peso N.Z. dollar Norway krone Peruvian new sol Russia rouble Saudi riyal Singapore dollar South Africa rand South Korean won Sweden krona Switzerland franc Taiwanese dollar Thailand baht Turkey lira U.K. pound U.S. dollar

Vietnam dong 0.9891 0.3860 0.1979 1.5566 0.1606 0.01960 0.000092 0.01173

0.3208 0.06749 0.9210 0.1601 0.3847 0.02198 0.3350 0.9531 0.10680 0.001167 0.1569 1.3479 0.04309 0.04004 0.3312 1.7511 1.2562 0.000055

Financial highlights

Highlights at the close Wednesday at world financial market trading.

Stocks:

S&P/TSX Composite Index – 15,328.27, up 111.80 points Dow – 24,893.49, up 253.04 points

S&P 500 – 2,698.63, up 35.69 points

Nasdaq – 7,143.62, up 130.11 points

Currencies:

Cdn – 79.61 cents US, up 0.24 of a cent

Pound – C$1.7511, up 0.19 of a cent

Euro – C$1.5566, unchanged Euro – US$1.2391, up 0.37 of a cent

Oil futures:

US$60.60, up $1.41 (March contract)

Gold futures:

US$1,358.00 per oz., up $27.60 (April contract)

Canadian Fine Silver Handy and Harman:

$22.004 oz., up 29.2 cents $707.43 kg., up $9.39

The markets today

TORONTO (CP) — Surging gold and oil prices helped give Canada’s main stock index a tripledigit boost on Wednesday, as the loonie strengthened against a weakening greenback.

The S&P/TSX composite index advanced 111.80 points to 15,328.27, led by strong gains in the gold, base metals, materials and energy sectors.

The March crude contract climbed US$1.41 to US$60.60 per barrel and the April gold contract soared US$27.60 to US$1,358.00 an ounce.

South of the border, American stocks capped off their fourth day of gains amid a U.S. government report Wednesday that consumer prices rose by 0.3 per cent in January at a rate faster than economists expected.

But there were few signs of the worries about inflation that sent stocks falling on Feb. 2 after reports of greater U.S. wage growth caused investors to worry about faster inflation – and the likelihood that the Federal Reserve could raise interest rates more rapidly, making it more expensive for businesses and individuals to borrow money.

In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average was up 253.04 points to 24,893.49. The S&P 500 index added 35.69 points to 2,698.63 and the Nasdaq composite index was up 130.11 points to 7,143.62.

The Canadian dollar closed at 79.61 cents US, up 0.24 of a U.S. cent. Elsewhere, the March natural gas contract was down a cent at US$2.59 per mmBTU.