Canadian stock market gains with investors take defensive posture

TORONTO -- Canada's main stock index ended the week on a positive note with investors taking on a more defensive posture.

The S&P/TSX composite index closed up 65.97 points to 15,470,10.

In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average was up 64.89 points to 25,444.34. The S&P 500 index lost one point to end the week at 2,767.78, while the Nasdaq composite lost 36.11 points to 7,449.03.

The Canadian dollar traded at an average of 76.31 cents US compared with an average of 76.59 cents US on Thursday.

The December crude contract was up 57 cents at US$69.28 per barrel and the November natural gas contract was up 5.2 cents at US$3.25 per mmBTU.

The December gold contract was down US$1.40 at US$1,228.70 an ounce and the December copper contract was up 3.15 cents at US$2.78 a pound.