TSX Closer: Index Gains as Battery Metals Rally, Investors Digest Mixed Labor Data

The Toronto Stock Exchange rose on Friday as gains in energy, financial and base-metals stocks outweighed weakness in telecom shares, while investors assessed mixed Canadian employment data. The S&P/TSX Composite Index closed up 104.86 points, or 0.3%, to 35,305.31, with mixed sectors. Battery Metals Index led gainers, up 5.35%, with Information and Technology, Energy, Financial, and Base Metals, up 0.59%, 0.10%, 0.94%, and 0.94%, respectively. Telecom led decliners, down 0.65%, while Health Care, down 0.17%, Utilities, down 0.04%, and Industrials, down 0.12%. In commodities, gold traded lower on Friday as treasury yields rose. Goldl for August delivery was last seen down $27.30, or 0.7%, to $4,113.50 per ounce. The price of the metal has hovered above the $4,000 mark for the past two weeks, staying well under its Jan. 29 record high of $5,354.90. Meanwhile, West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude oil closed lower on Friday as fighting between the U.S. and Iran continues, while some ships continue to move out of the Persian Gulf through the Strait of Hormuz, boosting supply. WTI crude oil for August delivery closed down $0.67, or 0.9%, to settle at $71.41, while September Brent.