Canadian Financial Close: Blackberry Lifts TSX

By Commodity News Service Canada

WINNIPEG, December 18 – The Canadian dollar was little changed relative to its US counterpart at close Friday, as volatile oil prices and lukewarm inflation figures failed to sway the loonie.

The Canadian dollar closed at US$0.7171 or US$1 = C$1.3945.

The TSX nudged higher at week’s end tracking gains in energy and gold. Blackberry shares rose 10.5% Friday to lead the tech sector higher.

The S&P/TSX Composite Index rose 14.37 points, or 0.1%, to 13,024.30.

Canada’s agricultural sector performed as follows:
AGT Food and Ingredients—–up $ 0.07 at $ 31.90
Agrium Incorporated———-up $ 0.72 at $129.39
Buhler Industries————– $ 0.00 at $ 5.44
Maple Leaf Foods————-up $ 0.15 at $ 22.95
Potash Corp. of Sask———up $ 0.20 at $ 24.21
(All figures are in Canadian dollars.)