TSX Slightly Higher

Equities in Canada’s biggest market edged higher on Friday, buoyed by gains in real estate stocks, while concerns over U.S. trade deals ahead of the looming July 9 tariff deadline weighed on sentiment.

As the clock neared noon EDT, the TSX Composite Index had recovered 31.53 points to 27,065.79. So far this week, the index has leaped 373 points, or 1.4%.

The Canadian dollar slid 0.18 cents to 73.48 cents U.S.

Northern shares zoomed Friday 38 cents, or 19.8%, to $2.30.

Elsewhere, real estate stocks led sectoral gains, as Allied Properties up 49 cents, or 2.8%, to $17.80. Dream Industrial REIT dropped seven cents to $8.66.

Mining shares edged higher, energy shares were flat.

Copper prices retreated on Friday. Copper miners Capstone Copper was down nine cents, or 1%, to $8.54. Ero Copper sagged 32 cents, or 1.4%, to $22.64.

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday that Washington will start sending letters to countries on Friday specifying what tariff rates they will face on imports to the United States.

With Trump's 90-day pause on higher U.S. tariffs ending next week, investors have taken a cautious stance as several large trading partners are yet to clinch trade deals.

Prime Minister Mark Carney and Trump are aiming to reach some form of a trade deal by July 21.

Oil prices docked 59 cents to $66.41 U.S. a barrel.

Gold prices stepped back $1.40 to $3,341.50 U.S. an ounce.

ON BAYSTREET

The TSX Venture Exchange skidded 1.76 points midday Friday to 752.32, for a hike on the week of 28 points, or 3.9%.

All but two of the 12 TSX subgroups were higher, with real-estate up 1.3%, consumer staples improving 0.6%, and telecoms in the green 0.5%.

The two laggards were information technology and industrials, each inching up 0.1%.

ON WALLSTREET

U.S. indexes are closed for the Fourth of July holiday.