MONEY IN BRIEF
Currencies
These are indicative wholesale rates for foreign currency provided by the Bank of Canada on Thursday. 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
0.9902 0.3892 0.2050 1.5867 0.1643 0.01980 0.000094 0.01212 0.3334 0.07074 0.9305 0.1643 0.3996 0.02245 0.3438 0.9836 0.10880 0.001213 0.1543 1.3482 0.04425 0.04127 0.3260 1.8106 1.2894 0.000057
Financial highlights
Highlights at the close Thursday at world financial market trading. Stocks:
S&P/TSX Composite Index – 15,367.29, up 197.35 points Dow – 24,103.11, up 254.69 points
S&P 500 – 2,640.87, up 35.87 points
Nasdaq – 7,063.45, up 114.22 points
Currencies:
Cdn – 77.56 cents US, up 0.05 of a cent
Pound – C$1.8106, down 0.90 of a cent
Euro – C$1.5867, down 0.57 of a cent
Euro – US$1.2306, down 0.36 of a cent
Oil futures:
US$64.94, up 56 cents
(May contract)
Gold futures:
US$1,327.30 per oz., down $2.70 (June contract)
Canadian Fine Silver Handy and Harman:
$21.943 oz., up 1.5 cents $705.47 kg., up 48 cents
The markets today
TORONTO (CP) — A broad rally in Toronto allowed Canada’s main stock index to close the quarter with a triple-digit gain Thursday as U.S. markets also posted strong results.
Strong performances from the four main North American indexes came despite no clear triggers for the gains, said Kash Pashootan, CEO and chief investment officer at First Avenue Investment Counsel Inc.
The S&P/TSX composite index closed up 197.35 points at 15,367.29, led by rebounding energy and materials stocks. The late-week gains still left the index down 0.21 per cent for the week and down 5.2 per cent so far this year.
In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average closed up 254.69 points at 24,103.11.
The S&P 500 index ended up 35.87 points at 2,640.87 and the Nasdaq composite index was up 114.22 points at 7,063.45 as technology stocks saw broad gains.
The Canadian dollar closed at 77.56, up 0.05 cents US even as the Canadian economy posted lower-than-expected January GDP numbers.
The May crude contract closed up 56 cents at US$64.94 per barrel and the May natural gas contract was up three cents at US$2.73 per mmBTU.
The June gold contract ended down US$2.70 at US$1,327.30 an ounce and the May copper contract was up two cents at US$3.02 a pound.