Toronto stocks rose moderately on Monday bolstered by gains in tech and consumer stocks, while only gold shares showed weakness. The S&P/TSX composite index (finished the session up 26.97 points at 6,548.66, and nowhere near the triple-digit gains racked up by the Dow.

Tech and consumer staple stocks led the way, rising 1.99%, and 1.21%, respectively.

ATI Technologies rose 45¢ to c$8.90, while Research In Motion jumped 92¢ to c$22.32.

In the consumer sector, grocery store operators were up sharply, as Sobeys climbed 95¢ to $37.15, while Loblaw advanced 95¢ to $55.75.

The S&P/TSX Venture Composite Index closed down 12.21 at 1,027.63

Trading was heavy on a volume of 36.9 million shares worth 14 million dollars, with 189 advances, 202 declines and 512 issues unchanged.

In New York, stocks finished sharply higher, as solid results from blue chips McDonald’s and Procter & Gamble Co. fed investors’ optimism for a rebound in corporate profits and the U.S. economy.

An economic report showing U.S. consumers, while still cautious, increased their spending in March at the fastest pace in three months, also helped investors put aside worries about sluggish U.S. growth.

The Dow Jones industrial average finished up 165.26 points at 8,471.61. The S&P 500 Index rose 16.03 points to 914.84. The tech-heavy Nasdaq composite index gained 27.70 points to close at 1,462.24.

Markets largely shrugged off news that securities regulators reached a settlement that will cost 10 big Wall Street firms at least US$1.4 billion and require them to adopt reforms to resolve allegations they issued biased stock ratings to lure investment banking business.

One of the largest penalties ever levied by securities regulators, it follows a lengthy investigation by the Securities and Exchange Commission, New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer and other state regulators, and market regulators. The settlement, based on a tentative agreement reached in December, will change the way major investment firms — including Citigroup, Merrill Lynch and J.P. Morgan Chase — do business.

The Canadian dollar slipped 0.02 of a cent to close at US69.04¢.