Markets rebound to end wild week

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Markets began and ended the week on highs after enduring sharp sell-offs in between. Friday morning started by extending the last three days of selling, particularly tech, but ricocheted to close positive and on strength. The major American indices finished as high as 1.95% for the S&P and as low as 1.55% for the Nasdaq. Despite all the turmoil, the tech-heavy Nasdaq slipped 2% for the week while the cyclical-heavy Dow gained nearly that much. The Nasdaq is 8% off its Feb. 12 high.

Apple and AMD both edged up Friday by 1% in heavy trading while Intel jumped 4.13%, UnitedHealth Group advanced nearly 4% and Caterpillar 3.47%. All the major Dow components closed in the green. Tech rallied despite the 10-year U.S. treasury yield hitting a one-year high of 1.626% after news of a jobs report blew past expectations. Wall Street is also watching the Senate debate over the US$1.9 trillion stimulus-aid bill.

Following a different script, the TSX rallied 1.41% (1.78% for the week) after Canada posted a surprise trade surplus for January and a one-year high for oil; WTI and WCS popped nearly 4% to clear $66/barrel and nearly $55/barrel respectively. Also lifting sentiment was Health Canada’s approval of the Johnson & Johnson single-dose vaccine. All TSX sectors closed in the green, led by energy, industrials, telcos and materials. Hudbay Minerals soared 11.4%, Crescent Point Energy by 8.27% and Spin Master 6.48%. Heavily traded were Suncor, up 3.46%, Manulife by 3.96% and Cenovus at 4.42%. Bitcoin advanced 2.4%, though gold was flat. Cannabis names like Aphria retreated 6% and Shopify slipped 1.66%. Though the VIX plunged nearly 14% to 24.66, volatility is expected to continue a little while longer.

🍎 Apple +1%
💾 Advanced Micro Devices +1%
💿 Intel +4.13%
👨‍⚕️ UnitedHealth Group Inc +4%
🏗 Caterpillar +3.47%
⛏ Hudbay Minerals Inc. +11.4%
🛢 Crescent Point Energy Corp +8.27%
🧸 Spin Master Corp +6.48%
🛢 Suncor Energy Inc +3.46%
🏛 Manulife Financial +3.96%
🛢 Cenovus Energy +4.42%
🅱 The Bitcoin Fund +2.4%
🌿 Aphria Inc -6%
🛍 Shopify Inc. -1.66%