Canadian stocks rose for a second day Wednesday, led by shares of metals companies as gold and other metals advanced.
Also helping lift sentiment, shares of Nova Chemicals (CA:NCX: news , chart , profile ) , which were hammered in recent sessions over concerns about the company's fate, jumped nearly 40% after reports it may have secured financing.
The benchmark S&P/TSX Composite Index (CA:ISPTX: news , chart , profile ) gained 64 points, or 0.7%, to end at 8,693.
Advancing stocks outpaced falling ones, with 615 shares gaining, 517 falling and 221 unchanged.
On Wall Street, the Dow Jones Industrial Average finished down 121 points, or 1.5%, to 7,956, amid concerns about banks such as Bank of America The financial sector also fell in Toronto, but seven out of eight sectors advanced, paced by metals and mining shares, which rose about 3.7%.
Gold for February delivery gained $9.60, or 1.1%, to end at $901.60 an ounce, and copper gained 0.6% on the Comex division of the New York Mercantile Exchange. See metals report.
Agnico-Eagle Mines Ltd. (CA:AEM: news , chart , profile ) advanced 4%. First Quantum Minerals Ltd. (CA:FM: news , chart , profile ) jumped 13%.
Crude-oil futures finished lower after inventories in the U.S. rose much more than expected to hit the highest level in 18 months. Crude for March delivery fell 46 cents, or 1.1%, to end at $40.32 a barrel. See oil story.
Yet, the energy sector still gained about 1%, led by Suncor Energy (CA:SU: news , chart , profile ) , up 3.3%, and Talisman Energy (CA:TLM: news , chart , profile ) , up 4%.
