Canadian market bounces back to end week ahead

After suffering its worst single-day loss in six weeks, Canada's main market rebounded on Friday led by gains in Materials and Information Technology sectors.

The Toronto Stock Exchange's benchmark Standard & Poor's/TSX Composite climbed 79.66 points, or 0.51 percent to end the week at 15,586.13 points. All but one of the 10 sub-groups closed the trading day higher.

The TSX Materials group, which consists of producers of gold, precious metals, and raw materials, was the biggest winner on the day, rising 1.85 percent following gains in gold and copper prices.

The spot price of gold advanced 0.33 percent to 1,267.70 U.S. dollars an ounce, while a pound of copper ended the week at 2.5868 dollars, a 0.74 percent gain.

Gold miners Kinross Gold Corporation, Yamana Gold Inc, and B2Gold Corp all closed the session ahead and among the top-30 traded stocks on the day, rising 2.81 percent, 2.23 percent, and 2.08 percent, respectively.

Vancouver-based Detour Gold Corporation performed even better, rocketing 13.49 percent to 17.25 Canadian dollars (12.64 U.S. dollars) after posting better than expected first quarter results. The firm which operates a mine in North-Eastern Ontario ended the quarter with a reduction in debt, revenues of 163.7 million U.S. dollars and an adjusted net income of 10.5 million dollars.

Information Technology stocks also had an impact, rising 1.17 percent on Friday. Toronto-based Constellation Software Inc shares rose 1.85 percent after posting a first quarter profit of 555 million U.S. dollars and adjusted net income balloon 51 percent. Shares closed at 624.33 Canadian dollars (457.38 U.S. dollars). Descartes Systems Group and CGI Group Inc also contributed with respective gains of 2.57 percent and 1.82 percent.

The remaining groups that moved up during Friday's session were: Consumer Staples (0.91 percent), Health Care (0.85 percent), Energy (0.76 percent), Financial (0.34 percent), Consumer Discretionary (0.10 percent), and Telecommunications (0.08 percent).

Energy closed ahead as the price of crude oil and natural gas both finished the week on a high note. A barrel of Brent for July delivery rose 0.39 percent to 51.85 U.S. dollars, while June natural gas futures on the on the New York Mercantile Exchange shot up 0.93 percent to 3.269 U.S. dollars per million British thermal units.

Shares of Calgary-based Baytex Energy Corp and Crescent Point Energy Corp boosted 2.48 percent and 2.35 percent, each. Meanwhile, shares of Suncor Energy Inc, the largest crude oil producer in the country closed at 42.78 Canadian dollars (31.34 U.S. dollars), a 2.47 percent uplift.

The TSX Financial group stabilized on the day after two consecutive days as the top laggard group. Home Capital Group Inc shares ticked up 0.25 percent to 8.04 Canadian dollars (5.89 U.S. dollars) after shares slipped nearly 65 percent on Wednesday followed by a 34 percent spike yesterday. Bank of Nova Scotia and Manulife Financial Corporation carried the group, advancing 0.76 percent and 0.46 percent, each.

The lone group to lose ground on the day was Industrials, inching down 0.05 percent after plane and automobile maker Bombardier Inc was accused by rival Boeing for selling jets in the United States at below cost.

The anti-dumping complaint to the U.S. government could see the Montreal-based firm face a lengthy investigation and hinder their ability to sell their C Series aircraft south of the border. As a result, shares of the firm dipped 4.09 percent to 2.11 Canadian dollars (1.55 U.S. dollars).

The Canadian dollar retreated 0.14 cent to 0.7326 U.S. dollar. Endit