TORONTO – Canada’s main stock index was in positive territory, helped by gains in the basic materials sector, while U.S. markets moved lower.
After markets closed on Thursday, U.S. President Donald Trump extended a self-imposed deadline to strike Iran’s power plants to April 6 if the country doesn’t allow oil tankers to move through the Strait of Hormuz.
The S&P/TSX composite index was up 167.76 points at 32,055.28.
In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average was down 393.62 points at 45,566.49. The S&P 500 index was down 55.24 points at 6,421.92, while the Nasdaq composite was down 241.76 points at 21,166.32.
The Canadian dollar traded for 72.10 cents US compared with 72.23 cents US on Thursday.
The May crude oil contract was up US$3.61 at US$98.09 per barrel, while the June gold contract was up US$134.40 at US$4,543.4 an ounce.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 27, 2026.
— With files from The Associated Press.
Companies in this story: (TSX:GSPTSE, TSX:CADUSD)
