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 0.9994 0.3943 0.2049 1.5921 0.1652 0.01987 0.000094 0.01219 0.3301 0.06984 0.9309 0.1676 0.3974 0.02261 0.3455 0.9841 0.10870 0.001210 0.1577 1.3601 0.04443 0.04153 0.3301 1.8244 1.2958 0.000057

Financial highlights

Highlights at the close Wednesday at world financial market trading.

Stocks:

S&P/TSX Composite Index – 15,675.28, up 58.92 points Dow – 24,682.31, down 44.96 points

S&P 500 – 2,711.93, down 5.01 points

Nasdaq – 7,345.29, down 19.01 points

Currencies:

Cdn – 77.17 cents US, up 0.70 of a cent

Pound – C$1.8244, down 0.68 of a cent

Euro – C$1.5921, down 1.22 cents

Euro – US$1.2287, up 0.19 of a cent

Oil futures:

US$65.17, up $1.63

(May contract)

Gold futures:

US$1,321.50 per oz., up $9.60 (April contract)

Canadian Fine Silver Handy and Harman:

$22.281 oz., up 26.7 cents $716.33 kg., up $8.58

The markets today

TORONTO (CP) — Rising oil prices and optimism on NAFTA trade talks helped push the dollar and Canada’s main stock index higher while U.S. markets ended slightly down after the Federal Reserve raised interest rates.

The S&P/TSX composite index closed up 58.92 points to 15,675.28, led by gains in the energy sector.

In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average closed down 44.96 points to 24,682.31. The S&P 500 index was down 5.01 points to 2,711.93 and the Nasdaq composite index was down 19.01 points to 7,345.29. The Canadian dollar closed at 77.17 cents US, up 0.70 of a US cent.

The May crude contract closed up US$1.63 to US$65.17 per barrel and the April natural gas contract ended down four cents to US$2.64 per mmBTU. The April gold contract closed up US$9.60 to US$1,321.50 an ounce and the May copper contract ended up two cents to US$3.06 a pound.