TORONTO — Major North American indices finished higher today as the U.S. released a series of strong economic data.
The Toronto Stock Exchange's S&P/TSX composite index rose 50.43 points to 15,133.13.
In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average gained 27.06 points to 21,892.43, the S&P 500 index advanced 11.29 points to 2,457.59, and the Nasdaq composite index climbed 66.42 points to 6,368.31.
The boost to markets came as the U.S. Commerce Department said the nation's GDP grew between April and June at its fastest pace in two years and raised its estimate for economic growth.
A report by ADP Research Institute showed private businesses in the U.S. added 237,000 jobs in August.
The Canadian dollar was trading at an average price of 79.33 cents US, down 0.57 of a U.S. cent.
In commodities, the October crude contract fell by 48 cents to US$45.96 per barrel and the October natural gas contract shed 4.4 cents to about US$2.94 per mmBTU.
The December gold contract declined by $4.80 to US$1,314.10 an ounce and the December copper contract retreated about 1.8 cents to roughly US$3.09 a pound.
The Canadian Press
