North American stock markets up to start trading week

Photo: The Canadian Press

North American stock markets started the week by surging higher in initial trading.

The S&P/TSX composite index was up 433.96 points at 13,372.26.

In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average was up 805.31 points at 21,857.84. The S&P 500 index was up 92.94 points at 2,581.59, while the Nasdaq composite was up 261.20 points at 7,634.28.

The Canadian dollar traded for 70.58 cents US compared with an average of 70.71 cents US on Friday.

The May crude contract was down US$1.18 at US$27.16 per barrel and the May natural gas contract was up nearly six cents at US$1.68 per mmBTU.

The June gold contract was up US$29.50 at US$1,675.20 an ounce and the May copper contract was up nearly three cents at US$2.22 a pound.