After a see-saw session, the Toronto Stock Exchange's main index ended higher on Thursday, with gains in resource and banking shares tempered by worries over the state of the US economy. The S&P/TSX composite index closed up 58.17 points, or 0.45 percent, at 12,925.37, the first time in three days it has ended higher.
All but two of its 10 main groups were in positive territory with modest gains. The index managed to bounce back from early losses that had been sparked by more concerns over a slowdown in the US economy amid bad news from Cisco Systems Inc and Wal-Mart Stores.
But investor uncertainty kept the TSX benchmark from making large gains even though key commodity prices moved higher. The energy and materials sectors rose 0.8 percent and 0.4 percent respectively as oil and gold prices climbed. Suncor Energy rose C$1.25, or 1.4 percent, to C$93.05, while Teck Cominco was up C$1.19, or 3.6 percent, at C$34.67.
NovaGold Resources Inc rose 4 Canadian cents, or 0.4 percent, to C$11.09 after it raised the resource levels for its Donlin Creek gold development in Alaska, and said it was hoping to expand the project. Financials, the biggest group in the index, moved up 0.8 percent, as investors scooped up bargains in the sector, which has been battered by continued fallout from the slump in the US housing market.
Royal Bank of Canada rose C$1.17, or 2.3 percent, to C$51.29, and Toronto-Dominion Bank added 62 Canadian cents, or 0.9 percent, to C$67.30. The sector overall has lost almost 6 percent since the start of January.
On the earnings front, Canadian Tire Corp's more actively traded class A shares were down 78 Canadian cents, or 1.2 percent, at C$62.82 after the retailer said fourth-quarter profit rose but warned that earnings gains will be "tempered" by big investments. Grocer Loblaw Cos Ltd dipped 7 Canadian cents, or 0.2 percent, to C$30.73 after it said fourth-quarter adjusted profit fell nearly 16 percent as it cut prices to hold on to customers.