Dow tops 19,000 for first time; TSX closes higher

The Dow Jones industrial average soared above 19,000 points for the first time ever, as stock markets continued to ride a wave of optimism triggered by the victory of U.S. president-elect Donald Trump.

All three major stock markets in New York closed at record highs for a second day in a row.

The Dow Jones gained 67.18 points to 19,023.87, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq composite rose 17.49 points to 5,386.35. The broader S&P 500 index advanced 4.76 points to 2,202.94.

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In Toronto, the S&P/TSX composite index climbed 60.51 points at 15,100.38, helped by rising metals and materials stocks.

The Canadian dollar slipped 0.22 of a U.S. cent to 74.33 cents US, as it felt downward pressure from weaker oil prices.

The January crude contract fell 21 cents to $48.03 US per barrel.

December natural gas was up three cents at $2.98 US per mmBTU, while January contracts, which were trading at a similar volume, were up two cents at $3.10 US per mmBTU.

The December gold contract gained $1.40 to $1,211.20 US an ounce and December copper contracts were up three cents at $2.54 US a pound.