By Adriano Marchese


Stocks in Toronto were firmly higher in midday trading on Thursday, with most Canadian sectors trending higher and pushing up the indexes. Tech and health tech were the biggest gainers, followed by communications. Of the few declining sectors, consumer durables posted the largest losses, followed more distantly by materials and consumer discretionary.

Canada's merchandise-trade deficit with the rest of the world more than doubled in February as a jump in gold shipments helped drive the strongest export growth in months.

At midday, Canada's S&P/TSX Composite Index was 0.5% higher at 22217.57 and the blue-chip S&P/TSX 60 climbed by 0.5% to 1332.50.

Shares of Dollarama rose by 7.4% to 107.78 Canadian dollars ($79.67) after the dollar-store operator reported stronger-than-expected profit and revenue growth in its fourth quarter as customers continued to seek out value from the at its stores.


Other market movers:

BlackBerry shares were trading 9.3% higher in Toronto at C$4.17 after it reported a narrowed loss in the fiscal fourth quarter as the company moves closer to splitting its internet-of-things and cybersecurity businesses.

Shares of GFL Environmental were 2.4% higher at C$34.45 after it raised its quarterly dividend by 10% to 14 cents.

A.G.F. Management shares were 4.7% higher at C$8.83 after the company reported higher revenue and profit in its first quarter.


Write to Adriano Marchese at adriano.marchese@wsj.com


(END) Dow Jones Newswires

04-04-24 1222ET