North American stock markets push higher, loonie also gains ground

TORONTO - North American stock markets pushed higher in late-morning trading as a broad-based rally helped lift Canada's main stock index.

The S&P/TSX composite index was up 60.63 points to 15,568.80, after 90 minutes of trading.

In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average was up 149.59 points to 25,112.07. The S&P 500 index was up 18.35 points to 2,722.31 and the Nasdaq composite index was up 47.94 points to 7,258.03.

The Canadian dollar was trading at 78.89 cents US, up from an average price of 78.68 cents US on Thursday.

The April crude contract was up 44 cents to US$63.21 per barrel and the April natural gas contract was down five cents at US$2.63 per mmBTU.

The April gold contract was down US$1.90 to US$1,330.80 an ounce and the March copper contract was down five cents to US$3.20 a pound.