S&P/TSX composite back over 20,000 in early trading, U.S. stock markets also up

Photo: The Canadian Press

Canada's main stock index pushed back above the 20,000-point level in early trading, helped by gains in the energy and base metal sectors, while U.S. stock markets also rose.

The S&P/TSX composite index was up 80.20 points at 20,021.59.

In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average was up 123.60 points at 34,700.64. The S&P 500 index was up 23.36 points at 4,216.21, while the Nasdaq composite was up 105.28 points at 13,719.79.

The Canadian dollar traded for 82.81 cents US compared with 82.62 cents US on Thursday.

The July crude oil contract was up 84 cents at US$69.65 per barrel and the July natural gas contract was up a penny at US$3.05 per mmBTU.

The August gold contract was up US$16.30 at US$1,889.60 an ounce and the July copper contract was up seven cents at US$4.53 a pound.