TSX posts 1% monthly gain in August as financials rise

By Fergal Smith

(Reuters) -Canada's main stock index added to its monthly advance on Friday, helped by gains for financial and technology shares, as investors cheered U.S. data that showed the economy on a solid footing.

The Toronto Stock Exchange's S&P/TSX composite index ended up 118.69 points, or 0.5%, at 23,346.18, stopping just short of Monday's record closing high. For the month, the TSX added 1% after climbing 5.7% in July.

U.S. consumer spending increased 0.5% in July and prices rose moderately, curbing inflation, a report from the U.S. Commerce Department showed.

"Overall, it looks like the U.S. economy is fine," said Allan Small, senior investment advisor of the Allan Small Financial Group with iA Private Wealth. "The market is liking it."

Canada sends about 75% of its exports to the United States. Separate data showed the Canadian economy grew at a faster-than-expected annualized pace of 2.1% in the second quarter but still at a pace that was consistent with further interest rate cuts by the Bank of Canada.

The central bank will cut its benchmark rate by 25 basis points for a third straight meeting on Sept. 4 and again in October and December, a Reuters poll showed.

Heavily weighted financials rose 1%, helped by a gain of 1.6% for the shares of Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce after the bank beat earnings estimates. CIBC was the last of Canada's six major banks to report results.

"I don't have a problem with the earnings and in fact on any dips I've been buying Canadian banks," Small said.

Technology added 1.3% but energy was a drag, falling 1.4%, as the price of oil settled 3.1% lower at $73.55 a barrel on expectations of a rise in OPEC+ supply starting in October.

(Reporting by Fergal Smith in Toronto and Nikhil Sharma in Bengaluru; Editing by Vijay Kishore and Cynthia Osterman)