By Adriano Marchese

Toronto-listed stocks were firmly higher in midday trading Friday, driven by broad-based upward momentum. Leading the gainers were tech, materials and commercial services stocks. These offset declines primarily in tech services, consumer discretionary and health services stocks.

Retailers in Canada saw a jump in sales in November, rising 1.2% from the month before, when sales declined 0.2% to a seasonally adjusted 69.44 billion Canadian dollars, the equivalent of about $50.39 billion. The November increase retraces weak trade in recent months, hinting at a recovery in household consumption heading into the important holiday season.

Canada's S&P/TSX Composite Index rose 1.1% to 31772.94, reaching new highs earlier in the morning of 31800.59 before paring back, and the blue-chip S&P/TSX 60 rose by 1% to 1865.94.

Shares in Canadian entertainment company WildBrain jumped by 29% to C$1.94 after Sony Group agreed to acquire its 41% stake in Peanuts Holdings.

Other market movers:

BlackBerry shares fell 11% to C$5.35 over concerns that growth at its embedded-device software business, QNX, may be slowing, despite a better-than-expected fiscal third quarter.

Shares of Energy Fuels rose 9% to C$20.99 after its high-purity dysprosium oxide from its White Mesa mill in Utah cleared initial tests with a major South Korean magnet manufacturer, and said it expects to start producing terbium and possibly samarium oxide early next year.

Goeasy intends to renew its share-repurchase program to buy back up to 10% of its shares over a one-year period. Shares rose 2.5% to C$130.15.

Canadian B2B digital bank VersaBank appointed Nicolas Ospina to the newly created role of global chief financial officer, effective early next year. Shares were 1.5% higher at C$20.75.

Write to Adriano Marchese at adriano.marchese@wsj.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

December 19, 2025 12:17 ET (17:17 GMT)

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