Loonie gives up a few of last week’s gain, stock markets advance Monday

Data indicated that Canada’s imports fell for the first time in five months, narrowing the nation’s merchandise trade deficit for September, confirming that Canada, the world’s 11th largest economy, is finding its footing after lower oil prices shocked the economy in the first half of the year.

In the end, the S&P/TSX Composite Index rose 87.30 points, or 0.64 percent, to 13,710.31. The Canadian benchmark equity gauge climbed 1.7 per cent in October, its best performance since April.

On the positive side, ProMetic Life Sciences Inc jumped 9.5 percent to C$2.54 after it said its plasminogen replacement therapy, now going through US clinical trials, had been successfully used to treat an infant in Germany.

Canada’s main stock index rose on Wednesday, looking to extend a rally into a third day, even as heavyweight energy stocks dipped while technology company CGI Group Inc GIBa.TO touched its highest since May.

The loonie was down 0.66 at 75.96 cents US.

The company also asked the U.S.to pause its review of the application for the Keystone XL pipeline. On Friday, the S&P/TSX composite index fell 262.71 – its fourth negative showing of the week.

The Dow Jones average of 30 stocks also gave up early gains and was down 51.03 points at 17,867.12, the broader S&P 500 index declined 7.63 points to 2,102.16 and the Nasdaq fell 13.59 points to 5,131.54.