TSX hits 2-1/2 year high as jobs data lifts commodities

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TSX hits 2-1/2 year high as jobs data lifts commodities

<p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/tsx-may-open-lower-soft-north-american-jobs-134034949--sector.html"><img src="http://l2.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/rllsnjy.CihQqqKM5ABYQg--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9NzU7dz0xMzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/Reuters/2014-01-08T132931Z_1_CBREA0711HB00_RTROPTP_2_CBUSINESS-US-MARKETS-CANADA-STOCKS.JPG" width="130" height="86" alt="Toronto Stock Exchange logo is seen in Toronto" align="left" title="Toronto Stock Exchange logo is seen in Toronto" border="0" /></a>By John Tilak TORONTO (Reuters) - Canada's main stock index advanced to its highest in about 2-1/2 years on Friday as disappointing North American jobs data proved to be a boon to commodity prices, helping drive up shares of natural resource companies. Prices of gold, oil and other commodities gained on speculation that soft U.S. employment figures for December would push the U.S. Federal Reserve to slow the wind-down of its monetary stimulus program. &quot;We'll probably keep pace with the United States in 2014,&quot; said Philip Petursson, managing director, portfolio advisory group, at Manulife Asset Management. &quot;The prospects (for Canadian companies) are looking vastly improved over 2013.&quot; The Toronto Stock Exchange's S&amp;P/TSX composite index closed up 118.11 points, or 0.87 percent, at 13,747.52, after rising as high as 13,750.66, its strongest level since mid-2011.</p><br clear="all"/>

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