The benchmark index of the Toronto Stock Exchange surged higher on Tuesday, closing well above the 10,000-mark as it caught up with international stock markets that advanced sharply during Monday’s trading.

The S&P/TSX composite index gained 338.1 points, or 3.5%, to close at 10,100.95, after the exchange was closed on Monday for the Victoria Day holiday.

All 10 main groups on the index advanced on Tuesday, with energy stocks leading the way as oil futures moved to a six-month high. News of a fire at Sunoco’s Marcus Hook, Pennsylvania refinery pushed crude for June delivery up US$0.62, or 1.1%, to US$59.65 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange.

On the TSX, the energy group gained 5.5%. Suncor Energy Inc. rose 4.2% to $35.08 and Canadian Natural Resources Ltd. jumped $4.10, or 7.1%, to $62.06.

Also sharply higher was Nexen Inc., up 6.9% to $24.20 and Petrobank Energy and Resources Ltd., up $2.70, or 8.8%, to $33.35.

Talisman Energy Inc. added 5.3% to $16.95.

In other commodity trading, gold for June delivery ended up US$5.00, or 0.5%, at US$926.70 on the Comex division of the New York Mercantile Exchange.

On the TSX, the materials group gained 3% and the sub-gold index rose 0.9%.

Shares of Teck Resources jumped $1.32, or 9.2%, to $15.60 and First Quantum Minerals Ltd. gained $4.49, or 9.9%, to $50.00.

Also higher was Inmet Mining Corp., up 8.6% to $45.27 and Franco-Nevada Corp., up 8.2% to $29.47.

Shares of Potash Corp. jumped $6.20, or 4.9%, to $132.00.

Financial stocks gained 3.7% in Tuesday’s trading.

Manulife Financial Corp. shares soared $1.20, or 5.7%, to $22.20 and Royal Bank of Canada’s stock advanced 3.6% to $43.46.

Sun Life Financial Corp. advanced 3.7% to $28.00 and Toronto-Dominion Bank gained 4.4% to $49.84.

Bank of Nova Scotia saw its stock rise $1.26, or 3.6%, to close at $36.26.

Junior companies on the TSX Venture exchange also advanced on Tuesday, leading the S&P/TSX composite index up 13.4 points, or 1.3%, to 1,076.49.

Meanwhile, the Canadian dollar soared more than a cent and a half to close at US86.48.

In New York, U.S. stocks finished mainly flat on Tuesday after registering hefty gains in Monday’s trading.

The Dow Jones industrial average lost 29.23 points, or 0.3%, at 8,474.85.

The S&P 500 index slipped 1.58 points, or 0.2%, to 908.13.

The Nasdaq composite index edged up 2.18 points, or 0.1%, to close at 1,734.54.

IE