Canadian Financial Close: Loonie advances alongside TSX

By Commodity News Service Canada

WINNIPEG, May 25 – The Canadian dollar advanced against its
US counterpart on Wednesday. The gains were realized after the
Bank of Canada kept its monetary policy rate steady at 0.5%.
The Bank of Canada said that global economic conditions
remain accommodative, “with ongoing geopolitical factors
contributing to fragile market sentiment.”
The Canadian dollar closed at US$0.7679 or US$1=C$1.3022,
which compares with Tuesday’s close of US$0.7607, or
US$1=C$1.3146.
The Standard & Poor’s/TSX Composite Index finished stronger
Wednesday, taking strength from sharp gains in crude oil.
Oil is nearing the psychologically-important US$50 a barrel
mark, which has pushed prices higher at many gas stations in
North America.
The S&P/TSX Composite index rose 100.89 points, or 0.72%,
to 14,053.74.

Canada’s agricultural sector performed as follows:
AGT Food and Ingredients—–dn $ 1.25 at $ 35.91
Agrium Incorporated———-up $ 1.35 at $117.92
Buhler Industries————– $ 0.00 at $ 4.90
Maple Leaf Foods————-dn $ 0.02 at $ 29.34
Potash Corp. of Sask———up $ 0.50 at $ 21.88

(All figures are in Canadian dollars.)