-- The Toronto Stock Exchange is up 15 points at midday with most sectors higher.
The best performers are miners and healthcare, both up 2%, followed by energy, up 1.3%.
Offsetting gains is info tech, which is down 3.9%. Shopify (SHOP.TO) which reported its first-quarter earnings this morning, is down 12.5% to $151.60, with 2.4 million shares being traded. The company's second-quarter profit outlook missed expectations as it projected operating expenses of between 35% and 36% of revenue.
In other news, focus was on the release of Canadian trade data for March, which CIBC described as "surging and glittering". The bank noted a $1.8 billion goods trade surplus compared with a $5.1 billion deficit in the prior month and consensus expectations for a $2.5 billion shortfall. Total exports surged by 8.5%, driven almost exclusively by metals and energy. Excluding those two areas, exports were up by a much more modest 1.1%. Auto exports rebounded further from January's low (+4.5%) but remained roughly 20% down on a year-over-year basis. Adding in services trade, which was fairly balanced in March, Canada's total trade balance with the world moved from a deficit of $5.0 billion in February to a $1.7 billion surplus.
CIBC said: "While a trade surplus in March was unexpected, it was mainly driven by price fluctuations rather than any signs that real economic activity was stronger than anticipated. Combined with signs last week that higher gasoline prices may already be having a negative impact on consumer spending, we continue to expect only modest GDP growth this year and little evidence that slack within the economy is being absorbed. That should see the Bank of Canada look through a near-term spike in headline inflation, keeping interest rates on hold this year."