Articles by David Hodges, The Canadian Press

Mar 7 2018 — David Hodges, The Canadian Press — TORONTO — Falling commodity prices weighed on the Toronto stock index Wednesday as U.S. markets pared back earlier losses following a report that Canada and Mexico may get a special exemption from President Donald Trump's controversial tariffs. Major Wall Street indexes had fallen sharply in late-morning trading following the departure of Gary Cohn, a top economic adviser in the […]

Mar 6 2018 — David Hodges, The Canadian Press — TORONTO — Stock on both sides of the border eked out minor gains Tuesday as investors continue to focus on a back-and-forth in Washington over tariffs the White House wants to impose on steel and aluminum imports. The plans have faced opposition from other Republicans and business leaders who fear they could ignite a trade […]

Mar 5 2018 — David Hodges, The Canadian Press — TORONTO — Oil and gas company stocks helped drive Canada's main stock index higher Monday as waning fears that a trade war would break out helped power Wall Street higher. The S&P/TSX composite index climbed 156.69 points to 15,541.28. Among the biggest gainers in the energy sector were Crew Energy Inc. and Baytex Energy Corp., […]

Mar 4 2018 — David Hodges, The Canadian Press — TORONTO — A return to volatility on global stock markets in early February may be the catalyst needed to warn investors about the impact of fees on returns — a feat that regulators haven't accomplished so far. "Failing investment values tend to make people scrutinize everything more closely," Dan Hallett, vice-president of HighView Financial Group in Windsor, Ont., […]

Mar 2 2018 — David Hodges, The Canadian Press — TORONTO — Canada's main stock index closed lower Friday, but off its lows for the day, after markets reassessed U.S. President Donald Trump's latest statements about imposing stiff tariffs on steel and aluminum. A global sell-off in stocks that began Thursday came back around to North America in morning trading after the president doubled down against growing backlash, […]

Mar 1 2018 — David Hodges, The Canadian Press — TORONTO — Canada's main stock index fell moderately as stocks south of the border dropped sharply amid talk of tariffs on steel and aluminum by U.S. President Donald Trump. The president told industry executives Thursday he would impose a tariff of 25 per cent on imported steel and 10 per cent on aluminum, sparking fears the move will lead […]

Feb 28 2018 — David Hodges, The Canadian Press — TORONTO — Canada's main stock index nose dived Wednesday as oil and gas company stocks fell sharply and shares of Valeant Pharmaceutical International, Inc. tumbled on low guidance. The S&P/TSX composite index was down 228.57 points to 15,442.68, led by a more than three per cent decline in the energy sector amid falling oil prices. The April crude contract […]

Feb 27 2018 — David Hodges, The Canadian Press — TORONTO — Canada's main stock index dropped moderately while U.S. stocks fell sharply after the head of the Federal Reserve said that he's feeling more optimistic about the economy. Fed Chairman Jerome Powell made his first highly anticipated public comments before Congress Tuesday and he reaffirmed that the U.S. central bank plans to raise interest rates gradually. […]

Feb 22 2018 — David Hodges, The Canadian Press — TORONTO — Rallying oil prices and a rising energy sector weren't enough to keep Canada's main stock index out of the red Thursday, as U.S. stocks mostly closed higher amid a pullback in bond yields. The S&P/TSX composite index was down 15.84 points to 15,508.17, in a largely broad-based decline that included the influential gold and financials […]

Feb 21 2018 — David Hodges, The Canadian Press — TORONTO — Canada's main stock index rose and U.S. markets pared back early gains on Wednesday as investors reacted to a late-afternoon surge in bond yields, while the loonie dipped below 79 cents. Bond prices fell, sending the yield on the U.S. 10-year Treasury note to its highest level in four years — to 2.94 per […]

Feb 15 2018 — David Hodges, The Canadian Press — TORONTO — Canada's main stock index posted its second straight day of gains, as North American markets bounced back after a negative start to Thursday's trading session. The Toronto Stock Exchange's S&P/TSX composite index advanced 79.39 points to 15,407.66, with the real estate and utilities sectors leading a largely broad-based advance. In New York, the […]

Feb 14 2018 — David Hodges, The Canadian Press — TORONTO — Surging gold and oil prices helped give Canada's main stock index a triple-digit boost on Wednesday, as the loonie strengthened against a weakening greenback. The S&P/TSX composite index advanced 111.80 points to 15,328.27, led by strong gains in the gold, base metals, materials and energy sectors. The March crude contract climbed US$1.41 to US$60.60 per […]

Feb 13 2018 — David Hodges, The Canadian Press — TORONTO — Losses in the energy sector led Canada's main stock index modestly lower on Tuesday as U.S. markets drifted higher for the third day in a row. The S&P/TSX composite index was down 25.41 points to 15,216.47, in a largely broad-based decline. One notable bright spot on the commodity-heavy TSX was the base metals sector, which was […]

Feb 12 2018 — David Hodges, The Canadian Press — TORONTO — The plunge in global stock markets over the past week has dragged down the Canadian dollar and oil prices, but some market observers see signs the loonie's fortunes will change this year even as the Canadian dollar continued its slide Monday. The loonie is down slightly in the opening months of the year as the global […]

Feb 12 2018 — David Hodges, The Canadian Press — TORONTO — Canada's main stock index surged more than 200 points in a broad-based advance as U.S. stocks rallied for a second session in a row, erasing some of the massive losses suffered last week. The gains came after the Toronto stock index dropped more than eight per cent from its all-time high and leading Wall […]