Toronto stocks charged ahead Thursday, posting a triple-digit gain for the second consecutive session, with the market responding to news of potential mergers and acquisitions.

The S&P/TSX composite index moved up 108.26, or 0.80%, to 13,687.00.

Half of the 10 TSX main sub-groups were up.

The energy sector gained 1.34%.

Light, sweet crude for June delivery still finished down 53¢ at US$63.15 a barrel.

The materials sector gained 2.44%, while the gold sub-sector moved up 0.89%. Gold futures moved up $7.20 to close at US$682.30 an ounce.

Lionore Minerals gained $4.80, or 25.33%, to $23.75 as the miner is now the subject of a bidding war between two foreign firms.

Information technology group gained 0.70%.

Research in Motion Inc. gained $2.91, or 1.98%, to $149.98.

The Canadian dollar rose 0.17 of a cent to US90.37¢.

The S&P TSX Venture Exchange moved up 59.95, or 1.84%, to 3,322.29.

In New York, markets moved modestly higher as investors applauded positive economic news.

The Dow Jones industrial average gained 29.95, or 0.22%, to 13,241.38, marking a fresh record high. The Nasdaq moved up 7.62, or 0.30%, to 2,565.46, while the S&P500 rose 6.47, or 0.43%, to 1,502.39, breaking through the 1,500-mark for the first time in six-and-a-half years.