The Toronto Stock Exchange enjoyed broad-based gains on Thursday, finishing up 140 points after reaching gains exceeding 200 points earlier in the day.

The S&P/TSX composite index finished at 9,849.20, up 139.69 points, or 1.4%, after falling more than 350 points on Wednesday.

Crude oil for June delivery ended up US$0.60, or 1%, at US$58.62 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange.

The boost pulled the energy group up 1.5% during Thursday’s trading.

Within the group, Suncor Energy Inc. added 2.8% to $34.64 and Canadian Natural Resources Ltd. rose 2.5% to $59.61.

Shares of Husky Energy Inc. jumped 3.9% to $32.50 and Petro-Canada moved higher by 2.5% to $42.70.

The financials group gained 1.7% on Thursday.

Royal Bank of Canada rose 2.6% to $42.35 and Sun Life Financial Corp. advanced 2.9% to $26.99.

Shares of Onex Corp. surged $1.26, or 6.1%, to $22.01.

Materials stocks advanced 1.4% as gold futures edged higher. June gold rose US$2.50, or 0.3%, to end at US$928.40 an ounce on the Comex division of the New York Mercantile Exchange.

The sub-gold index rose 0.5%.

Shares of Iamgold Corp. fell 1.6% to $11.38 after the company reported that first-quarter profits rose 53% to US$52.5 million.

First Quantum Minerals Ltd. rose $2.20, or 4.9%, to $47.20.

Agrium Inc.’s stock soared 4.2% to $54.65 and Potash Corp. rose 4.6% to $126.01.

Lower for the day was Barrick Gold Corp., down 1.5% to $39.84.

Shares of Canadian Tire Corp. jumped 6% after the company reported that earnings fell 26% to $49.7 million in the first quarter, from $67.1 million last year. Canadian Tire’s stock added $2.73 to close at $48.20.

The junior S&P/TSX Venture composite index finished at 1,060.52, up 7 points, or 0.7%.

The loonie added a third of a cent to close at US85.40¢.

In New York, the main stock market indices also advanced on Thursday despite news of a boost in jobless claims. The number of initial jobless claims in the week ended May 9 rose 32,000 to 637,000, the Labor Department reported, marking the highest level of claims since mid-April.

The Dow Jones industrial average added 46.43 points, or 0.6%, to close at 8,330.

The S&P 500 index advanced for the first time in four days, gaining 9.15 points, or 1%, to end at 893.07.

The Nasdaq composite index gained 25.02 points, or 1.5%, to finish at 1,689.