Toronto stocks advanced for the second session in a row Wednesday as investors hunted for bargains in technology and mining issues. The S&P/TSX composite index finished up 98.45 points at 8,601.72.

Toronto volume was 283.5 million shares, as advances beat declines 818 to 471 with 192 issues unchanged.

The market’s gains were led by a 2.48% rise in the health-care sector. The technology, financial services, consumer discretionary and materials groups all rose more than 1%.

Tech stocks rose 1.68%, as Nortel Networks shares rose 26¢ to $7.46.

Materials gained 1.67% thanks to sturdy gains by mining and gold issues. Gold stocks gained 1.74% as bullion prices rose following an explosion in a Baghdad hotel.

The energy sector rose 0.93%, as U.S. oil prices hit 13-year highs.

The day’s big loser was Bombardier. Its shares fell 35¢ at $6.44 after the firm announced it is cutting 6,600 jobs and closing seven European factories as it restructures its rail division.

Bombardier also handed in a $448 million net loss for the fourth quarter, largely to help cover the $777 million restructuring.

The junior S&P/TSX Venture composite index climbed 15.80 points to finish at 1,842.07.

On Wall Street, U.S. stocks staged a broad-based advance following news that inflation remained relatively tame in February.

The Dow Jones industrial average finished up 115.63 points, or 1.1%, at 10,300.30, while the Nasdaq composite index climbed 33.67 points, or 1.7%, to close at 1,976.76. The S&P 500 rose 1.2% to 1,123.78.

The Canadian dollar slipped 0.32¢ to US74.71¢.