Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, July 27, 2012.BRENDAN MCDERMID/Reuters
The Toronto stock market was slightly higher in early trading, even as commodities weakened.
The S&P/TSX composite index gained 5.45 points to 11,771.81.
The September crude contract on the New York Mercantile Exchange shifted down nine cents to $90.04 (U.S.) a barrel, while August gold lost $2 to $1,616.00 an ounce.
The European Commission released a report showing that economic sentiment dipped, with pessimism growing in both the industrial and service sectors. There were sharp declines in Germany, France and Spain.
The Canadian dollar rose 0.01 of a cent to 99.57 cents (U.S.).
The Dow Jones industrials gained 10.63 points to 13,086.29. The Nasdaq composite index was ahead 11.86 points to 2,969.95 and the S&P 500 index rose 1.54 points to 1,387.51 as Wall Street hoped for Federal Reserve and European Central Bank stimulus action this week and awaited another report on the U.S. jobs market.
The July jobs report on Friday is expected to show unemployment remained stuck at 8.2 per cent and weak job growth.
- With files from AFP