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Oil Surges Past $103 as TSX Extends Losing Streak

  Markets are lower this morning as oil surges past US$103 and tech stocks remain under pressure, with the TSX coming off a fourth straight decline. Below is your ready-to-publish Canadian Money Brief update for April 29, 2026 , built from today’s market data and news. TSX slips as oil spikes and global tensions rise The S&P/TSX Composite opened at 33,584 , down 0.69% from yesterday’s close as weakness in tech and materials continues to weigh on the index. Rising geopolitical tensions and renewed uncertainty around the Iran conflict have pushed WTI crude above US$103 , lifting Canadian energy names but not enough to offset broader declines.  U.S. markets are also softer, with the S&P 500 down 0.49% and tech stocks retreating amid renewed AI growth concerns.  Oil rallies on OPEC turmoil Crude prices are up more than 3% , driven by the UAE’s announcement that it will exit OPEC and by expectations of prolonged supply disruptions tied to the Iran war.  ...

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S&P 500 Inches Closer to Record High Amid Optimism About Fed’s Policy and Year-End Effect

 

The S&P 500 index closed just shy of a new record high on Thursday, with the broad index gaining 0.04%. The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite fell 0.03%, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.1%. Markets are ending 2023 on a hot streak, with all three indexes on pace for a ninth consecutive weekly gain. For the S&P 500, that would mark the longest streak since January 2004. The index is now within 0.3% of its all-time high, set in January 2022. With one trading session remaining in 2023, the S&P 500 is up 25%.

Investors are optimistic that the Federal Reserve can successfully cool inflation without inducing a major economic slowdown, which has powered the market’s recent advance. Now, some investors say the looming end of the calendar year is giving markets an extra boost. “Nobody who has caught this rally wants to incur a taxable event,” said Michael Green, chief strategist at Simplify Asset Management. “If nobody wants to sell, prices will push higher on low volume”.

The jobless claims data released by the Labor Department on Thursday indicated a gradual cooling of the economy. Initial jobless claims, considered a proxy for layoffs, were 218,000 in the week ending Dec. 23, slightly more than the 215,000 that economists expected.

Bond yields rose as prices fell, reflecting expectations of higher inflation and interest rates. The yield on the benchmark 10-year Treasury note rose to 3.849%, up from 3.7%.

Some investors are increasing their exposure to energy and industrial stocks, which could benefit from a strong economic recovery. Matt Dmytryszyn, chief investment officer at Telemus Capital, said his fund is boosting its position in shares of energy and industrial firms.


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