The Toronto Stock Exchange 300 composite index gained 25 points today, finally pushing it past its pre-Sept. 11 closing point. The TSE 300 rose 25.06 points to finish the day at 7349.50.

Nine of the TSE’s 14 sub-indices gained ground, led by a 4% jump in the paper and forest products sub-index. Industrial products rose 2%.

Franco-Nevada was the most active stock. It climbed $1.47 to $24.67 after a takeover offer from American gold miner Newmont Mining. Normandy Mining, a much smaller Australian/Canadian gold producer, added $1.05 to $12.80.

Nortel’s fortunes are climbing. It rose another 44¢ to $12.41.

The rise in forest and paper stocks came after a report from Quebec that an end to the softwood dispute with the U.S. may be reached within a few weeks. Abitibi rose 78 cents to $10.90.

Oil and gas was the biggest loser, today. That sector shed 3% as OPEC deferred a decision on production cuts. The cartel is trying to get non-OPEC producers to make cuts of their own. Talisman Energy fell $2.30 to $58.55. PanCanadian Energy dropped $1.56 to $41.49. And Alberta Energy dipped $1.95 to $59.60.

On Canada’s venture exchange trading was active on a volume of 35.0 million shares worth 11.1 million dollars. There were 188 advances, 204 declines and 633 issues unchanged. The CDNX Index closed up 0.12 at 3023.13.

South of the 49th parallel, blue chips made gains. Hewlett-Packard led the action with encouraging earnings news boosting spirits already lifted by the rout of the Taliban in Afghanistan.

The Dow Jones industrial average finished the day up 72.66 points, or 0.75%, to 9,823.61. The Nasdaq composite index scraped up another 10.96 points, or 0.58% to 1,903.07. The Standard & Poor’s 500 index added a mere 2.10 points, or 0.18%, to 1,141.19.

Hewlett rose 9.1% today, or US$1.85, to US$22.08. The company bested analyst estimates for it earnings performance.