Toronto stocks climbed today. Heavy-duty bargain-hunting came to the rescue of the Toronto Stock Exchange 300 composite index. The crisis-borne tendency to hide among gold and oil & gas shares slowed as investors came out to look for brighter possibilities.

The TSE 300 finished the day up 148.84 points, or 2.29%, higher at 6661.97. The TSE is down 25% for the year. It has dropped about 9% since the Sept. 11 air attacks on New York and Washington.

The CDNX joined in the North American-wide market rallies. It added 25.61, 0.93%, to 2787.32.

In the U.S., stocks also rebounded. At one point during the day, the Dow Jones industrial average climbed 413 points.

The Dow finished the day up 368.05 at 8,603.86. It dropped 1,369.70 last week, the DowÕs biggest-ever weekly decline. The Nasdaq composite index added 76.71, or 5.35%, to 1,499.40. The Standard & Poor’s 500 index advanced 36.92, or 3.82%, at 1,002.72.

Despite todayÕs rebound, thanks to the return of bargain hunters, investors are still nervous about market volatility, say market analysts. They will no doubt be wary of making any big moves until it’s clear how the Bush government will respond militarily to the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.