North American stock markets open higher, loonie climbs back above 76 cents US

TORONTO — Gains in the industrials sector helped lift Canada’s main stock index higher in early trading, while U.S. stock markets also pushed ahead.

The S&P/TSX composite index up 111.72 points at 16,471.86.

In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average was up 227.98 points at 28,221.31. The S&P 500 index was up 34.64 points at 3,418.18, while the Nasdaq composite was up 154.03 points at 11,210.68.

The Canadian dollar traded for 76.04 cents US compared with 75.90 cents US on Monday.

The October crude contract was up 32 cents at US$37.58 per barrel and the October natural gas contract was up three cents at US$2.34 per mmBTU.

The December gold contract was up US$9.60 at US$1,973.30 an ounce and the December copper contract was up less than a penny at US$3.07 a pound.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 15, 2020.