Moderate gains after U.S. narrows steel-tariff net

TORONTO — Markets on both sides of the border saw moderate gains Thursday as U.S. President Donald Trump announced broad tariffs on steel and aluminum that exempted Canada and Mexico.

The president signed proclamations slapping tariffs of 25 per cent on steel and 10 per cent on aluminum that go into effect for the rest of the world in 15 days. Canada and Mexico are to be excluded from the tariffs for now but uncertainty remains on how firm that exemption is as NAFTA negotiations continue.

Thursday’s positive finish in North American markets was preceded by mild swings throughout the day as investors waited to see the details and wider implications of the tariffs, said Anish Chopra, managing director with Portfolio Management Corp. in Toronto. “The markets are in a wait and see mode,” he said. “Is this the start of a trade war, or it just going to be small battles on different areas of trade as opposed to a full-scale trade war?”

The S&P/TSX composite index closed up 66.09 points at 15,538.70, with the industrials and financials sectors offsetting losses in mining stocks.

The April gold contract was down US$5.90 to US$1,321.70 an ounce and the May copper contract was down six cents to US$3.08 a pound.

Energy also weighed on the commodityheavy TSX, as oil prices saw sharp losses for a second day in a row after the U.S. Energy Department reported Wednesday that American oil production rose last week — a move that thwarts ongoing efforts by OPEC to tighten global supplies and support prices.

The April crude contract was down US$1.03 to US$60.12 per barrel.

In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average was up 93.85 points to 24,895.21. The S&P 500 index was up 12.17 points to 2,738.97 and the Nasdaq composite index was up 31.30 points to 7,427.95.

Markets could see more movement today when the U.S. releases its latest job figures, said Chopra. “People are waiting for the jobs report to see if there are any signs of inflation ticking up in the U.S.”

In currency markets, the Canadian dollar closed at an average trading value of 77.36 cents US, up 0.12 of a U.S. cent.

• Meanwhile, DavidsTea Inc. said its cofounder resigned from its board of directors this week as the company looks to lead a private transaction for the tea chain.

The Montreal company, which held its initial public offering in 2015, said Herschel Segal resigned from the board on March 5.

Segal, who controls Rainy Day Investments Ltd., informed the board on behalf of RDI the company decided to start exploring a privatization transaction for the struggling chain of 236 tea shops across Canada and the U.S.

DavidsTea said RDI wants to present a proposal for an offer to buy out DavidsTea’s minority holders or for an alternative strategic transaction, and that it does not wish to sell any of its shares.