While most sectors closed in the black Thursday, financials and base metals displayed the only real muscle in Toronto markets.

The S&P/TSX composite index closed up 159.03 points, or 1.16%, at 13,909.58.

All of the 10 major TSX groups gained ground.

The base metals sector gained 2.08%, as Timminco Ltd. shares closed up $1.76, or 6.80%, at $27.66. Also, Teck Cominco shares ended up 87¢, or 1.85%, at $47.80.

The financials group sector closed up 1.22%. Bank of Montreal shares gained 96¢, or 2.08%, to finish at $47.12. Meanwhile Royal Bank of Canada shares gained 24¢, or 0.51%, to close at $47.28.

Canaccord Capital Inc. shares lost 48¢, or 4.26%, to close at $10.80, the day after it announced its plan to buy back about $138 million in ABCP from small investors.

The energy group closed up 1.04%, as crude oil for May delivery dropped US76¢, or 0.7%, to end at US$110.11 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange.

Nexen Inc. shares closed up 80¢, or 2.48%, to end at $33.10.

Meanwhile, the materials group closed up 0.89%, as the gold sub-index fell 0.16%.

Gold for June delivery fell $5.70 to end at $931.80 an ounce on the New York Mercantile Exchange.

Eldorado Gold Corp. shares fell 8¢, or 1.06%, to close at $7.50.

In other corporate news, shares of MacDonald, Detteiler and Associates Ltd. lost $4, or 8.54%, to end at $42.85 after the federal government said it is not satisfied with the terms of the deal to be purchased by Alliant Techsystems Inc. The government said it is not certain the deal is in Canada’s best interest.

As well, Corus Entertainment Inc. shares gained 18¢, or 0.97%, to end at $18.80, after it reported a 2% rise in quarterly revenue to $178.7 million.

The Canadian dollar closed out at US98.15¢, down 0.01 of a cent from yesterday’s close, as Statistics Canada reported Canada’s trade surplus rose by more than $2 billion to $4.9 billion, the largest surplus since May of last year, the government agency said.

The junior S&P/TSX Venture composite index closed up 5.58 points, or 0.22%, at 2,567.45.

In New York, markets close up after two days of losses, despite weak retail sales reports.

The Dow Jones industrial average closed up 54.72 points, or 0.44%, to end at 12,581.98. The S&P 500 rose 6.06 points, or 0.45%, to close at 1,360.55.

Meanwhile, the tech-heavy Nasdaq composite index was a big gainer, closing up 29.58 points, or 1.27%, at 2,351.70.