PM market numbers: December 14, 2009

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

The Toronto Stock market ended the session in positive territory after investors pulled up energy stocks in hopes that Exxon Mobil’s US$31-billion acquisition of U.S. oil and gas company XTO Energy Inc. could mean other deals in the sector.

The S&P/TSX composite index closed 121.76 points higher to 11,545.69, with shares of nearly every major Canadian energy player higher.

The energy sector was up 2.2 per cent as investors speculated over other possible takeovers within the industry.

The January crude contract on the New York Mercantile Exchange closed the session down 36 cents to US$69.51 a barrel.

Meanwhile, Abu Dhabi’s $10-billion bailout to Dubai gave markets a jolt of optimism. The debt repayments quelled fears that the emirate would default and signal a new round of broader credit problems.

“What we’re seeing is continued small steps towards fixing in the financial system, towards strengthening the various places that are weak,” said Kate Warne, Canadian markets specialist at Edward Jones in St. Louis.

“That certainly doesn’t eliminate all the possible things that can go wrong, but every small step is a step in the right direction.”

TSX gold stocks were up 1.5 per cent as the February bullion contract on the Nymex rose $3.90 to US$1,122.80 an ounce.

The base metals sector launched the biggest gain of the day, up 2.9 per cent as the March copper contract gained two cents to US$3.15 a pound.

The Canadian dollar gained 0.05 of a cent to 94.40 cents U.S., while the TSX Venture Exchange was up 7.97 points to 1,425.08.

On Wall Street, the Dow Jones industrial average moved up 29.55 points to 10,501.05. The Nasdaq composite index gained 21.79 points to 2,212.10, while the S&P 500 index climbed 7.7 points to 1,114.11.

Citigroup Inc. said it will pay back $20 billion in bailout money it received as part of the government’s Troubled Asset Relief Program.

The New York-based bank was hardest hit by the credit crisis and rising loan defaults, receiving a total of $45 billion in government support. It only needs to pay back $20 billion because the remaining $25 billion was converted into a 34 per cent ownership stake in the bank earlier this year.

Statistics Canada reported that Canadian industries operated at 67.5 per cent of their production capacity in the third quarter, down marginally from 67.7 in the second quarter.

Also in the energy sector, Husky Energy Inc. shares moved higher after the company said it plans to increase its capital spending by 20 per cent to $3.1 billion in 2010. Shares rose 1.6 per cent, or 48 cents, to $28.98.

Inter Pipeline Fund units gained 11 cents to $10.93 after the company announced it plans capital expenditures of more than $292 million next year, with most of it going toward its oil sands transportation segment.

TMX Group hares were up 98 cents to $31.34 after it announced it will distribute trading data across U.S. and Europe on NYSE network under new data technology and distribution agreement.

Kirkland Lake Gold Inc. said a borehole collapse widened net losses to $10.3 million for the quarter ended Oct. 31, and weakened revenues to $6.9 million, from $8.8 million last year. Shares rose 16 cents to $9.45.

(The Canadian Press)

North American markets

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	Close	Change	YTD
Dow Jones	10,501.05	+29.55 or +0.28%	+19.65%
S&P 500	1,114.11	+7.70 or +0.70%	+23.34%
NASDAQ	2,212.10	+21.79 or +0.99%	+40.27%
TSX Composite	11,545.69	+121.76 or +1.07%	+28.46%

International markets

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	Close	Change	YTD
Nikkei	10,105.68	-2.19 or – 0.02%	+14.07%
Hang Seng	22,085.75	+183.64 or +0.84%	+53.51%
SENSEX	17,097.55	-21.480 or -0.125%	+77.23%
FTSE 100	5,315.34	+53.77 or +1.02%	+19.87%
CAC 40	3,830.44	+26.72 or +0.70%	+19.03%
DAX	5,802.26	+45.97 or +0.80%	+20.62%

Bonds

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Bonds	$Current	$Previous	%Yield
Cdn. 10-year bond	102.83	103.04	3.40
Cdn. 30-year bond	116.41	116.80	4.01
U.S. 10-year bond	98.54	98.62	3.55
U.S. 30-year bond	98.18	98.00	4.48

Currency

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BoC Close	Today	Previous
Canadian $	0.9440	0.9435
US $	1.0593	1.0599

Euro Spot Rate	Today	Previous
Canadian $	0.6441	0.6449
Euro	1.5525	1.5505

Commodities

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Gold	AM	PM
London Gold Fix ($US)	$1,120.00	$1,123.75

Oil	Open	Change
WTI Crude Future (US)	$69.66	-0.210 or -0.30

(12/14/09)