On Friday, the Canadian stock market rebounded, ending a six-day downward trend, thanks to optimism stemming from U.S. Commerce Department data. The report revealed the PCE price index's growth was slower than anticipated, boosting hopes for further interest rate reductions by the Federal Reserve in the coming year.
Key sectors that led the market rally included healthcare, real estate, technology, consumer discretionary, materials, and utilities.
The S&P/TSX Composite Index started the day at a low of 24,250.02 but quickly recovered, closing at 24,599.48, marking an increase of 185.54 points or 0.76%. Despite this gain, the index experienced a weekly decline of approximately 2.9%.
Statistics Canada reported a 1.5% year-over-year rise in retail sales for October. Preliminary estimates suggest retail sales remained flat in November compared to the prior month, following a 0.6% increase in October.
Among the notable performers, healthcare firm Tilray Inc jumped over 6%. In real estate, Crombie Real Estate, Primaris REIT, and CT Real Estate Investment Trust saw gains of 4.7%, 4.6%, and 3.2%, respectively.
The technology sector witnessed a significant surge with BlackBerry appreciating by over 23%. The company reported a third-quarter EPS of $0.02, surpassing analyst projections of a $0.01 loss. Revenue for the quarter hit $162 million, exceeding expectations of $146.68 million. BlackBerry’s Internet of Things division saw a 13% year-over-year revenue growth to $62 million, exceeding the forecast of $58.5 million.
Lightspeed Commerce experienced a 4% increase, while Sangoma Technologies, Celestica Inc, Tecsys, and Shopify Inc posted gains ranging from 1.7% to 2.25%.
The consumer discretionary segment saw Aritzia Inc rise by over 5%. Other firms such as Mty Food Group, Linamar Corp, Magna International, Restaurant Brands International, Brp Inc, and Spin Master Corp enjoyed gains between 1.5% and 2.5%.
First Quantum Minerals, up 8%, was the top performer in the Materials Index. Meanwhile, K92 Mining, Hudbay Minerals, Lundin Mining, and Ivanhoe Mines gained between 3% and 4.1%. Additional strong gainers in the sector included Teck Resources, Transcontinental, and Equinox Gold Corp.
In the utilities sector, Superior Plus Corp, Algonquin Power & Utilities, and Innergex Renewable Energy recorded gains between 2% and 3%.
