A.M. market numbers: September 08, 2009

| North American markets | International markets | Bonds | Currency | Commodities |

The Toronto stock market headed for a positive open as economic optimism helped send oil prices higher while gold moved over US$1,000 an ounce.

U.S. futures also pointed to a higher open as the Dow Jones industrial futures advanced 89 points to 9,506, the Nasdaq futures gained 15.75 points to 1,651.5 and the S&P 500 futures rose 11.2 points to 1,025.1.

A weekend pledge by the world’s 20 biggest economies to support the global recovery with stimulus efforts is contributing to the markets’ positive tone.

Investors were encouraged by news that two British mobile phone companies may merge. And while Cadbury PLC has rejected a takeover bid from Kraft Foods Inc., companies’ reviving interest in making acquisitions is being seen as a positive sign for the economy.

A weak U.S. dollar continued to benefit the Canadian currency, which jumped 1.46 cents to US$93.48.

The faltering greenback also helped send the December gold contract up $8.90 to US$1,005.60 an ounce while December copper climbed nine cents to US$2.96 a pound.

TSX energy shares will likely advance at the open as the October crude contract rose $1.74 to US$69.76.T

The Toronto stock market finished flat last week following a series of volatile trading sessions as investors dealt with a new round of worries connected to the pace of a economic recovery.

Overseas markets were also higher as investors took in the weekend announcements from finance officials at the Group of 20 summit in London that boosted European and Asian shares on Monday.

The officials welcomed improvements in economic growth but warned recovery was not sustainable without continued government help in the form of deficit spending, low interest rates and efforts to expand the money supply.

"I don’t know if the optimism is justified but people are buying into it,” said Francis Lun, general manager at Fulbright Securities Ltd in Hong Kong.

Japan’s Nikkei 225 stock average advanced 0.7%, at 10,393.23 despite a steep fall in the nation’s current account surplus underlining prolonged weakness in exports _ a key driver of growth for the world’s No. 2 economy.

Hong Kong’s Hang Seng gained 2.1%.

London’s FTSE 100 index and Frankfurt’s DAX gained 0.5%, while the Paris CAC 40 was ahead 0.33%.

In other corporate news, Fairfax Financial Holdings Limited (TSX:FFH) is to offer nearly 2.9 million of its subordinate voting shares at US$347 each, for gross proceeds of US$1 billion. Net proceeds will fund the previously announced proposed acquisition of the remainder of Odyssey Re Holdings Corp. that it does not currently own.

(The Canadian Press)

North American markets

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Dow Jones	9,441.27	+96.66 or +1.03%	+7.58%
S&P 500	1,016.40	+13.16 or +1.31%	+12.53%
NASDAQ	2,018.78	+35.58 or +1.79%	+28.01%
TSX Composite	11,017.47	+95.98 or +0.88%	+22.58%

International markets

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	Open	Change	YTD
Nikkei	10,393.23	+72.29 or +0.70%	+17.31%
Hang Seng	21,069.81	+440.50 or +2.14%	+46.45%
SENSEX	16,123.67	+107.35 or +0.67%	+67.13%
FTSE 100	4,958.25	+25.07 or +0.51%	+11.82%
CAC 40	3,662.66	+9.83 or +0.27%	+13.82%
DAX	5,489.15	+25.64 or +0.47%	+14.11%

Bonds

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Bonds	$Current	$Previous	%Yield
Cdn. 10-year bond	103.16	103.46	3.37
Cdn. 30-year bond	118.79	119.19	3.89
U.S. 10-year bond	101.52	102.39	3.44
U.S. 30-year bond	103.75	105.75	4.27

Currency

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BoC Open	Today	Previous
Canadian $	0.9348	0.9202
US $	1.0697	1.0867

Euro Spot Rate	Today	Previous
Canadian $	0.6451	0.6440
Euro	1.5502	1.5527

Commodities

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Gold	AM	PM
London Gold Fix ($US)	$ 1004.50	$983.00

Oil	Open	Change
WTI Crude Future (US)	$69.83	+$1.81 or +2.66%

(09/08/09)