(Reuters) -Canada’s main stock index rose on Thursday after energy stocks gained on the back of higher oil prices, a day after the central bank left its key interest rate unchanged.
* Oil prices rose about 0.8% after slipping in the previous session on data indicating weak U.S. driving season fuel demand as investors eyed upcoming U.S. economic data.
* That helped the energy sector rise 0.8%. [O/R]
* At 9:47 a.m. ET (1347 GMT), the Toronto Stock Exchange’s S&P/TSX composite index was up 40.42 points, or 0.2%, at 20,042.69.
* The materials sector, which includes precious and base metals miners and fertilizer companies, added 0.4%. [GOL/] [MET/L]
* The Bank of Canada on Wednesday left its key interest rate unchanged at a record low 0.25%, as expected, and said the economy would “rebound strongly” as vaccinations against COVID-19 picked up.
* On the TSX, 138 issues were higher, while 85 issues declined for a 1.62-to-1 ratio favouring gainers, with 23.05 million shares traded.
* The largest percentage gainer on the TSX was Transcontinental Inc, which jumped 8.1%, after several brokerages, including Scotiabank and National Bank of Canada, raised their price targets on the stock.
* Tilray Inc led declines on the TSX with a 3.3% fall, and Westport Fuel was the second biggest decliner, down 1.8%.
* The most heavily traded shares by volume were Canadian Natural Resources, Crescent Pint Energy Corp and Hut 8 Mining Corp.
* The TSX posted 14 new 52-week highs and no new low.
* Across all Canadian issues there were 81 new 52-week highs and six new lows, with total volume of 42.66 million shares.
(Reporting by Sagarika Jaisinghani in Bengaluru; Editing by Aditya Soni and Amy Caren Daniel)