Stock markets appear to be ending week on a positive note, dollar slides

TORONTO — Stock markets appear to be ending the week on a positive note but Canada's dollar is down.

The loonie was at 76.46 cents US, down 0.45 of a cent from Thursday's close.

The Toronto Stock Exchange's S&P/TSX composite index was up 144.36 points at 14,278.82.

The Dow Jones industrial average was up 181.18 points at 18,077.06, the broader S&P 500 composite index advanced 24.70 points to 2,122.60 and the Nasdaq composite gained 65.16 points to 4,941.97.

The August crude contract was down 15 cents at US$44.99 per barrel and August natural gas was up one cent at US$2.79 per mmBTU.

The August gold contract fell $7 to US$1,353.10 an ounce and September copper contracts gained about half a cent to US$2.13 a pound.

DISCLOSURE: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors, and do not represent the views of equities.com. Readers should not consider statements made by the author as formal recommendations and should consult their financial advisor before making any investment decisions. To read our full disclosure, please go to: http://www.equities.com/disclaimer