Banking stocks lift Toronto index

TORONTO: Canada’s main stock index hit a record high on Wednesday as upbeat quarterly results from Royal Bank lifted financials, while energy shares were subdued for the first time in four days after oil prices steadied.

At 10:00 a.m. ET (1400 GMT), the Toronto Stock Exchange’s S&P/TSX composite index was up 0.09% at 20,566.47 after hitting an intra-day high of 20,579.09 minutes after the open.

Royal Bank of Canada also hit an all-time high after the lender comfortably beat analysts’ expectations for third-quarter profit, lifting the broader financial index by 0.6%.