Dow up 3.1%, TSX ekes out smaller gain

S&P/TSX composite index over the past month

The Dow Jones industrial average reversed a loss earlier Friday and rebounded to close 3.1 per cent higher.

It had been down about 250 points in early trading after the U.S. Labour Department reported a total of 533,000 jobs were lost in November in the United States, many more than the 320,000 job losses economists had predicted.

But it broke into positive territory in mid-afternoon and then advanced to close 259.18 points higher at 8,635.42.

In Toronto, the S&P/TSX index also rebounded from early losses, but added only 59.21 points at 8,117.03.

Commodities-related sub-indexes fell, with energy dropping 2.5 per cent as the price of a crude oil futures contract for January slid $2.86 US to $40.81 a barrel.

But the financial, consumer, industrial and information technology sub-indexes rose.

The gain Friday left the S&P/TSE down about 1,150 points for the week. The Dow Jones index fell less than 200 points over the week.