Crude oil prices, Toronto stock market reach highest levels since summer 2015
TORONTO — The price of oil and Toronto’s main stock index both settled Wednesday at highs not seen in more than 15 months, buoyed by signs that Saudi Arabia foresees an end to the downturn in crude prices.
December contracts for crude, which are the most heavily traded, soared $1.20 to US$51.82 per barrel. The last time oil futures contracts hit such levels was on July 14, 2015, when they settled at US$53.04 per barrel.
The settlement price Wednesday was nearly double the lows seen earlier this year, when a barrel of crude settled at US$26.21 in mid-February.
“Definitely we’ve got a commodity-driven market today,” said Peggy Bowie, a senior equity trader at Manulife Asset Management.