Canadian equities swung lower and finished higher on Wednesday, even though there were strong performances in the materials and technology sectors, as investors assessed the Bank of Canada’s latest interest rate decision. The central bank left its benchmark overnight rate unchanged at 2.25 per cent, marking its fifth rate announcement of the year.
US markets also revolved in the face of gains in major technology stocks. Investors responded positively to fresh economic data indicating that inflation continues to ease, with large-cap technology companies providing significant support to the broader market.
| TSX | 35,416.20 | +95.66 |  |
| TSXV | 877.79 | -13.91 |  |
| CSE | 158.61 | +0.64 | |
| DJIA | 52,658.64 | +150.37 | |
| NASDAQ | 26,269.23 | +162.22 | |
| S&P 500 | 7,572.40 | +28.81 | |
The Canadian dollar traded for 71.26 cents US compared to 71.07 cents US on Tuesday.
US crude futures traded $0.33 lower at US$79.01 a barrel, and the Brent contract lost $0.30 to US$84.43 a barrel.
The price of gold was up $0.17 to US$4,063.05.
In world markets, the Nikkei was up 1,008.01 points to ¥68,751.51, the Hang Seng was up 340.37 points to HK$24,681.10, the FTSE was down 13.47 points to ₤10,515.92, and the DAX was down 147.50 points to €24,999.53.