Jul 03, 2025 (Baystreet.ca via COMTEX) --
Canada's main stock index opened higher to hit a record high on Thursday as investors assessed domestic and U.S. economic data, while a U.S.-Vietnam trade pact renewed optimism around global trade deals ahead of the July 9 tariff deadline.
The TSX Composite Index gained 62.16 points to start Thursday at 26,931.82.
The Canadian dollar was flat at 73.63 cents U.S.
ON BAYSTREET
The TSX Venture Exchange accumulated 2.95 points to 754.80.
The 12 TSX subgroups were evenly divided, with health-care, financials and information technology each taking 0.5%.
The half-dozen laggards were weighed most by telecoms, down 1.1%, energy, off 0.2%, and gold, fading 0.1%.
ON WALLSTREET
U.S. stocks rose on Thursday, with the S&P 500 and NASDAQ Composite hitting fresh record highs, after a better-than-expected jobs report fueled optimism the U.S. economy was hanging tough despite fast-changing trade policy and geopolitics.
The Dow Jones Industrials flew 292.14 points to 44,776.97
The much-broader index strengthened 43.37 points to 6,270.79
The NASDAQ Composite leaped 184.88 points to 20,578.01.
Analysts at Needham upgraded Meta Platforms to hold from underperform, saying in a note to clients that the Facebook-parent company has better labor productivity than eight other Big Tech and media peers that the agency covers.
All three major U.S. averages are on pace to close out the week in positive territory. The S&P 500 and NASDAQ Composite are each 1.5% higher week to date, while the Dow is at a 2.1% gain for the period.
Non-farm payrolls rose by 147,000 in June, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Thursday. That's above the Dow Jones forecast from economists for 110,000 and the upwardly revised 144,000 in May. The unemployment rate also fell to 4.1%, while economists had projected an increase to 4.3%.
Thursday's report comes a day after ADP released data showing that private payrolls decreased by 33,000 last month, raising fears that perhaps the economy was starting to stumble under the weight of rapid policy changes out of Washington.
Thursday's official government data knocked down that notion.
Investors are also following along the progress on Trump's tax megabill, which finally passed the Senate Tuesday and has since returned to the House. The bill is now headed for a final vote after the Republican-controlled House advanced the legislation Thursday.
Thursday will be a shortened trading session, with the New York Stock Exchange and the NASDAQ closing at 1 p.m. ET. U.S. markets are closed on Friday for Independence Day.
Prices for the 10-year treasury were lower, raising yields to 4.35% from Wednesday's 4.29%. Treasury prices and yields move in opposite directions.
Oil prices docked 20 cents to $67.21 U.S. a barrel.
Gold prices dipped $17.20 to $3,342.50 U.S. an ounce.
COMTEX_466888318/2559/2025-07-03T10:42:59
