Canada's main stock index rose for the third straight day on Monday, led by the industrial and materials groups, while shares of BlackBerry Ltd climbed as it opened an autonomous driving research center. At 11:35 am EST (1635 GMT), the Toronto Stock Exchange's S&P/TSX composite index was up 40.37 points, or 0.26 percent, to 15,292.57.
Eight of the TSX's 10 main groups gained ground as investors turned attention to Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen's speech at the University of Baltimore, less than a week after the US central bank raised benchmark interest rates. The index fell the most in one month on Wednesday when the Fed raised rates for the first time in a year. The most influential movers on the index included Brookfield Asset Management Inc, which rose 0.5 percent to C$44.86, and Canadian National Railway, which advanced 0.6 percent to C$90.00.
Industrials gained 0.5 percent, while financials firmed 0.1 percent. Brazil will challenge government funding for Bombardier Inc at the World Trade Organisation (WTO), escalating the latest trade spat between the Canadian jet maker and its Brazilian rival Embraer SA. Still, Bombardier's shares rose more than 5 percent for the second straight day, up 5.9 percent at C$2.17.