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North American stock markets surge higher in early trading after crash on Monday

Stock markets nose-dived on Monday as crude oil prices sank to a four-year low

Canada’s main stock index was up 400 points in early trading Tuesday, a day after the Toronto Stock Exchange posted its biggest one-day loss since 1987, triggered by a collapse in oil prices.

The S&P/TSX composite index was up 429.47 points at 14,943.71 after gaining more than 500 points at the open.

Stock markets nose-dived on Monday as crude oil prices sank to a four-year low after Russia refused over the weekend to roll back production and Saudi Arabia responded by launching a crude price war by vowing to ramp up output.

The drop in oil rattled already jittery markets that had been under pressure due to concerns about the economic impact of the spread of the novel coronavirus that began in China.

It was a broad-based rally on Tuesday including the energy sector which suffered big losses on Monday. However, gains by several of the big names in Canada’s energy sector fell short of the previous day’s declines.

Shares in Suncor Energy Inc. were up 71 cents at $28.27 in early trading after falling nearly 18 per cent on Monday. Canadian Natural Resources Ltd., which lost nearly 30 per cent, regained 64 cents at $22.07.

In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average was up 701.91 points at 24,552.93. The S&P 500 index was up 81.36 points at 2,827.92, while the Nasdaq composite was up 242.62 points at 8,193.30.

The Canadian dollar traded for 73.10 cents US compared with an average of 73.54 cents US on Monday.

The April crude contract was up US$2.53 at US$33.66 per barrel and the April natural gas contract was up 11.2 cents at US$1.890 per mmBTU.

The April gold contract was down US$21.60 at US$1,654.0 an ounce and the May copper contract was up 2.15 cents at US$2.5320 a pound.

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The Canadian Press


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