TSX Posts Fresh Record Closing High

(RTTNews) - The Canadian stock market ended on a positive note on Monday, after recording fresh all-time high, as the mood remained bullish amid continued optimism about global economic recovery.

Upbeat U.S. jobs data and a faster pace of expansion in manufacturing activity supported the market. A sell-off in the energy section due to a falling crude oil prices limited market's gains.

The benchmark S&P/TSX Composite Index rose to 19,082.65 and eventually ended the session at 19,026.79, netting a gain of 36.47 points or 0.19%.

The Capped Energy Index shed nearly 2.5%. Vermilion Energy (VET.TO), Crescent Point Energy (CPG.TO), Enerplus Corp (ERF.TO), Cenovus Energy (CVE.TO), Parex Resources (PXT.TO), Whitecap Resources (WCP.TO), Canadian Natural Resources (CNQ.TO), Suncor Energy (SU.TO) and Arc Resources (ARX.TO) lost 2 to 6%.

Materials shares First Quantum Minerals (FM.TO), Ero Copper (ERO.TO), Hudbay Minerals (HBM.TO), Turquoise Hill Resources (TRQ.TO), Canfor Corp (CFP.TO), Interfor Corp (IFP.TO), West Fraser Timber (WFG.TO) and Teck Resources (TECK.B.TO) gained 3 to 6%.

Air Canada (AC.TO), Toronto-Dominion Bank (TD.TO), Bank of Montreal (BMO.TO), Royal Bank of Canada (RY.TO) and BCE Inc (BCE.TO) were among the notable gainers from other sectors.

Data from U.S. Labor Department on Friday showed employment in the U.S. spiked by much more than expected in the month of March. The data said non-farm payroll employment surged up by 916,000 jobs in March after climbing by an upwardly revised 468,000 jobs in February.

Economists had expected employment to jump by 647,000 jobs compared to the addition of 379,000 jobs originally reported for the previous month.