S&P/TSX composite up more than 250 points, U.S. stock markets also higher

Photo: The Canadian Press

Financial numbers flow on the digital ticker tape at the TMX Group in Toronto's financial district on May 9, 2014.  

Strength in the energy and technology sectors helped Canada's main stock index rise more than 250 points in late-morning trading, while U.S. stock markets also climbed higher.

The S&P/TSX composite index was up 274.78 points at 24,980.85.

In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average was up 236.91 points at 41,818.22. The S&P 500 index was up 36.32 points at 5,650.98, while the Nasdaq composite was up 155.64 points at 17,659.76.

The Canadian dollar traded for 69.79 cents US compared with 69.93 cents US on Tuesday.

The May crude oil contract was up 43 cents US at US$67.18 per barrel and the April natural gas contract was up 11 cents US at US$4.17 per mmBTU.

The April gold contract was unchanged at US$3,040.80 an ounce and the May copper contract was up six cents US at US$5.08 a pound.