TSX gains on strong retail sales data

Canada's main stock index edged up on Friday after data showed a rise in retail sales and an uptick in house prices, but a fall in shares of oil producers capped gains.

The energy sector dropped 1.5% as crude prices fell after Libyan commander Khalifa Haftar said a blockade on Libyan oil exports would be lifted for one month.

Husky Energy fell 2.8%, the most on the TSX, while Seven Generations Energy followed closely behind with a 2.1% fall.

At 9:54 a.m. ET (1354 GMT), the Toronto Stock Exchange's S&P/TSX composite index was up 14.32 points, or 0.09%, at 16,261.04.

Canadian home prices rose in August, with the pace of the advance just shy of the average gain for the month as the housing market showed signs of picking up.

Retail sales in July rose by 0.6% and are now higher than they were before the COVID-19 pandemic struck, Statistics Canada said, adding August sales probably gained 1.1% on the month.

The materials sector, which includes precious and base metals miners and fertilizer companies, added 0.2% as gold futures rose 0.5% to $1,950.2 an ounce.

The largest percentage gainers on the TSX were Winpak , which jumped 7%, and Kinross Gold Corp, which rose 4.1% after its board approved a quarterly dividend of 3 cents per share.

On the TSX, 95 issues were higher, while 123 issues declined for a 1.29-to-1 ratio to the downside, with 85.55 million shares traded.

The most heavily traded shares by volume were Enbridge Inc , Kinross Gold Corp and Barrick Gold Corp.

The TSX posted no new 52-week high or low.

Across all Canadian issues there were 21 new 52-week highs and two new lows, with total volume of 106.73 million shares.