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MARKETS LIVE BLOG:

STOCKS RISE AS DOW EYES GAIN FOR 8TH STRAIGHT SESSION

U.S. consumer sentiment tumbles in May as inflation, interest rate worries take hold

Oil gains help TSX close at highest since September

Reuters
A Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX) logo is seen in Toronto November 9, 2007. REUTERS/Mark Blinch

By Alastair Sharp

TORONTO (Reuters) - Canada's main stock index notched its sixth straight gain and its highest close since September on Thursday, led up by big banks and industrial and energy shares.

Oil and gas shares were up 1.5 percent as a rise in oil prices helped some producers, while the overall long-term outlook for the sector was seen as less pessimistic.

"You've seen oversold sectors, particularly within the energy complex, starting to see some very early evidence of stability," said Sid Mokhtari, a market technician at CIBC World Markets. "People at minimum don't want to be short the complex."

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Among energy winners, Suncor Energy Inc (Toronto:SU.TO - News) rose 1.4 percent to C$39.37, and Canadian Natural Resources (Toronto:CNQ.TO - News) advanced 1.3 percent to C$40.52.

"It's, so far, looking very good - a rebound primarily from the oil in the energy sector," said John Kinsey, portfolio manager at Caldwell Securities.

The Toronto Stock Exchange's S&P/TSX composite index (.GSPTSE) ended up 112.71 points, or 0.74 percent, at 15,326.31.

In the industrials sector, Canadian Pacific Railway Ltd (Toronto:CP.TO - News) gained 2.2 percent to C$236.61 and rival Canadian National Railway Co (Toronto:CNR.TO - News) added 1.1 percent to C$84.12.

Advancing issues outnumbered decliners by 142 to 95, for a 1.49-to-1 ratio on the upside. Ten stocks posted new 52-week highs and two posted new lows in the session.

CIBC's Mokhtari said that while further upside is possible, resistance will likely surface in the 15,600-15,800 range.

All of the index's 10 main groups were higher, though a number of gold-mining stocks struggled amid falling bullion prices. [GOL/]

Financial stocks, which include Canada's largest banks, rose 0.7 percent. The sector makes up nearly 35 percent of the index's weight.

Caldwell's Kinsey noted the group had been struggling but that sentiment has become more positive recently after many of the major banks increased their dividends.

"In this low-rate environment, that's pretty good," he said.

Toronto-Dominion Bank (Toronto:TD.TO - News) rose 1.1 percent to C$55.25, while Royal Bank of Canada (Toronto:RY.TO - News) gained 0.9 percent to C$79.08.

($1=$1.26 Canadian)

(Additional reporting by Solarina Ho; Editing by Meredith Mazzilli and Peter Galloway)