TORONTO – A spike in the copper price helped mining companies lift Canada’s main stock index Tuesday, while U.S. markets were mixed.
The S&P/TSX composite index closed up 70.01 points at 16,122.25 as base metals, materials and gold indexes rose.
In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average closed down 13.71 points at 24,799.98. The S&P 500 index ended up 1.93 points at 2,748.80 and the Nasdaq composite index was up 31.40 points at 7,637.86, a second record high in as many days.
The Canadian dollar averaged 76.96 cent US, down 0.39 of a US cent as more encouraging economic data came out of the U.S.
The July crude contract closed up 77 cents at US$65.52 per barrel and the July natural gas contract ended down four cents at US$2.89 per mmBTU.
The July copper contract closed up six cents at US$3.20 a pound and the August gold contract was up US$4.90 at US$1,392.20.
