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TORONTO, Dec. 9 (Xinhua) -- Canada's main stock market in Toronto posted its sixth straight positive session on Friday, as strong performances from health care and energy stocks overcame sinking gold prices to help the index finish the week 1.73 percent ahead.
The Toronto Stock Exchange's benchmark Standard & Poor's/TSX Composite gained 17.00 points, or 0.10 percent, to end the week at a 19-month high of 15,312.20 points. Seven of the ten sub-sectors moved up on the session.
The TSX Health Care group experienced the biggest jump on the day, rising 1.25 percent after Laval drugmaker ProMetic Life Sciences' CEO responded to an incorrect report that had indicated he sold his 8.85 million shares of the company. As a result of the shares still being in his possession, shares rose 4.71 percent to 2.00 Canadian dollars (1.52 U.S. dollars).
Energy subgroup climbed 0.63 percent as crude oil and natural gas moved up on the day. Price of Brent delivered in February gained 45 cents to 54.35 U.S. dollars a barrel in London. Meanwhile, natural gas rose 1.08 percent to 3.74 per million British thermal units, a fourth consecutive week of growth.
As a result, Alberta energy firms Baytex Energy Corp. and Spartan Energy Corp. shares saw respective gains of 1.90 percent and 0.92 percent.
Consumer Discretionary group, which is made up of producers of non-essentials products such as automobiles, apparel and entertainment, rose 0.33 percent after shares of recreational vehicle maker BRP Inc. spiked 9.60 percent to 28.21 Canadian dollars (21.41 U.S. dollars) after the Quebec-based company posted better than expected second quarter earnings.
Groups that also finished the week ahead were Consumer Staples (0.81 percent), Financials (0.70 percent), Industrials (0.32 percent), and Utilities (0.29 percent).
Materials groups took the biggest hit on the day, slumping 2.14 percent after spot price of gold slumped 12 U.S. dollars an ounce to 1160.40. The price of bullion has fallen 11.3 percent since the beginning of November.
Subsequently, gold miners were among the most traded stocks during the session. Vancouver-based B2Gold Corp. and Yamana Gold Inc. saw shares tumble 6.51 percent and 3.26 percent. Meanwhile, stock price of Toronto-based Kinross Gold Corporation and Barrick Gold slipped 4.51 percent and 2.95 percent.
Among other laggard groups on Friday were Information Technology (0.38 percent) and Telecommunications (0.10 percent).
The Canadian dollar closed the week up 0.0010 to 0.7590 U.S. dollars.
