Canadian equities moved higher on Wednesday, led by advances in mining and financial shares. The gains came as Federal Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc continued diplomatic efforts with US officials, meeting them for the third time in three weeks to seek a resolution before proposed tariffs are imposed on August 19.
Energy markets also remained in focus, with oil prices extending recent gains due to ongoing tensions in the Strait of Hormuz. Concerns were further amplified after Russian President Vladimir Putin threatened to target European vessels in response to EU sanctions against Russia’s shadow oil fleet, potentially escalating risks for global commercial shipping.
South of the border, investors found reassurance in a US inflation report that matched expectations, reinforcing the belief that the Federal Reserve is likely to maintain current interest rate levels.
| TSX | 36,662.14 | +186.22 |  |
| TSXV | 975.87 | +9.29 | |
| CSE | 169.77 | +0.12 | |
| DJIA | 53,770.27 | -21.58 |  |
| NASDAQ | 26,588.49 | +143.04 | |
| S&P 500 | 7,748.50 | +20.30 | |
The Canadian dollar traded for 71.71 cents US compared to 71.80 cents US on Tuesday.
US crude futures traded $0.11 lower at US$83.09 a barrel, and the Brent contract lost $0.10 to US$88.81 a barrel.
The price of gold was up US$31.92 to US$4,412.14.
In world markets, the Nikkei was up 553.84 points to ¥67,524.06, the Hang Seng was down 212.65 points to HK$25,440.17, the FTSE was down 11.04 points to ₤10,833.15, and the DAX was down 60.35 points to €26,331.07.
