Canada’s main stock index gained 12.4% in the first quarter despite a losing day in the last trading session in a tepid March.

The S&P/TSX composite index closed down 53.40 points to 16,102.09.

In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average was up 211.22 points at 25,928.68. The S&P 500 index was up 18.96 points at 2,834.40, while the Nasdaq composite was up 60.16 points at 7,729.32.

The Canadian dollar traded at an average of US74.83¢ compared with an average of US74.47¢ on Thursday, after Statistics Canada reported the economy grew 0.3% in January.

The May crude contract was up 84¢ at US$60.14 per barrel and the May natural gas contract was down 5¢ at US$2.66 per mmBTU.

The June gold contract was up US$3.20 at US$1,298.50 an ounce and the May copper contract was up 6.3¢ at US$2.94 a pound.