By Twesha Dikshit and Fergal Smith
Canada’s main stock index rose on Monday to another record high as gold prices climbed and investors welcomed a recent reduction in borrowing costs.
Toronto’s S&P/TSX composite index .GSPTSE ended up 190.62 points, or 0.6%, at 29,958.98, eclipsing Friday’s record closing high.
“One of the key factors continues to be the normalization of inflation and also interest rates,” said Benjamin Jang, a portfolio manager at Nicola Wealth Management.
The Bank of Canada last Wednesday lowered its benchmark interest rate by 25 basis points to 2.50%, its first cut since March, saying it was less concerned about underlying inflation pressures.
The materials group TTMT, which includes fertilizer companies and metal mining shares, climbed 2.4% as the price of gold GOLD jumped to a new all-time high.
Barrick Mining ABX added to the sharp gains it notched on Friday. Its shares were up 7.4%.
Energy TTEN advanced…


