Canada, U.S. stock markets rise as jobs data from both countries came into focus

He noted that the basic materials sector on the S&P/TSX composite index benefited from a rise in gold prices. The February gold contract was up US$40.20 at US$4,500.90 an ounce.“There’s obviously some geopolitical instability right now, and that has led gold higher to start the year,” Ludwick said.Canadian investors digested the latest employment data from Statistics Canada, which said a boost in the number of people looking for work in December drove the unemployment rate higher at the end of the year.The ...