TSX jumps 1 pct on China cash, Spain hopes

TORONTO (Reuters) - Canada's main stock index jumped 1 percent on Thursday, breaking a five-day fall, as investors cheered moves by China to inject cash into money markets and as Spain unveiled an economic reform plan to deal with its debt crisis.

All ten of the index's main sectors moved higher, led by the heavyweight materials, energy and financial sectors which together account for more than three-quarters of the Toronto Stock Exchange's S&P/TSX composite index <.gsptse>.

By 1:36 p.m. (1736 GMT), the index was up 112.68 points, or 0.92 percent, at 12,345.54, as stronger gold and copper prices boosted miners.

"China is by far the biggest factor in determining commodity prices. Any news perceived as being positive for the Chinese economy tends to help commodity prices and therefore the TSX," said Elvis Picardo, a strategist at Global Securities in Vancouver who has recommended clients buy lagging Canadian commodity stocks for several months.

China's central bank injected 365 billion yuan ($58 billion) into money markets this week to prevent a short-term liquidity crunch at the country's commercial banks.

"This injection by China is consequential," said Gareth Watson, a vice president for investment management and research at Richardson GMP.

The news from China offset data showing weak orders for manufactured goods in the United States, which dimmed the global recovery outlook.

BET ON SPANISH BAILOUT

On Europe, Watson said that investors appeared to be looking beyond street protests against austerity measures in Spain and Greece and assuming that Madrid will eventually request an aid package that would trigger European Central Bank bond-buying.

"The market is looking ahead and finding it very difficult to believe Spain will go ahead without asking for a bailout, so we will react today as if it is already in place," Watson said.

Spain announced a detailed timetable for economic reforms and a tough 2013 budget based mostly on spending cuts seen by many as an effort to pre-empt the likely conditions of an international bailout.

Illustrating the broad nature of the Toronto index's rise, the three gainers with the most impact were a bank, an oil company and a gold miner.

Bank of Nova Scotia rose 1.5 percent to C$54.91, Goldcorp gained 2 percent to C$45.20 and Suncor Energy moved 1.3 percent higher to C$32.44.

But both Watson and Picardo warned that the TSX's rise could simply be a reaction to a five-day sell-off, and that catalysts would be scarce until North American jobless data at the end of next week and corporate earnings season that starts soon after.

Still, a Reuters poll published on Wednesday showed Canadian shares are expected to make further gains this year and into the middle of 2013, as recent stimulus from major central banks is expected to lift lagging resource stocks.

Weighing on the index on Thursday, Enbridge Inc dipped 1 percent to C$38.49 after environmental groups sued the government over the pipeline company's contentious Northern Gateway pipeline.

Research In Motion Ltd dipped 2.9 percent to C$6.68 ahead of its quarterly results due after the close, paring several days of solid gains for the struggling BlackBerry maker.

(Reporting by Alastair Sharp; Editing by Jeffrey Hodgson)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/tsx-may-open-higher-china-stimulus-hopes-122859984--sector.html

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