Canada's main stock index rose Thursday to scrape out a new all-time closing high, while U.S. markets continued to set their own records. 

The S&P/TSX Composite Index closed up 41.55 points, or 0.19 per cent, at 22,087.26.

In New York, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 269.24 points at 39,781.37. The S&P 500 Index was up 16.91 points at 5,241.53, while the Nasdaq Composite was up 32.43 points at 16,401.84.

The Canadian dollar traded for 73.94 cents U.S. compared with 73.75 cents U.S. on Wednesday.

The May crude oil contract was down 20 cents at US$81.07 per barrel and the May natural gas contract was down a penny at US$1.83 per mm/BTU.

The April gold contract was up US$23.70 at US$2,184.70 an ounce and the May copper contract was up a penny at US$4.06 a pound.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 21, 2024.