National Business

TORONTO — Strength in materials and health care stocks helped lift Canada's main stock index more than 100 points Friday. Meanwhile, U.S. markets ended the day mixed, but nevertheless closed out their eighth straight winning week.

TORONTO — Canadians getting in some last-minute Christmas shopping faced some troubles at the checkout counter. Payments processing company Moneris says it experienced intermittent issues that caused a "service degradation.

MONTREAL — TFI International Inc. says it's acquiring Daseke Inc. for $8.30 in cash per common share. The Montreal-based transportation and logistics company says the deal is expected to close during the second quarter of 2024.

MISSISSAUGA, Ont. — The United Food & Commercial Workers union says workers have ratified a collective agreement with Loblaw Cos. Ltd. covering almost 26,000 grocery store workers across Ontario.

Loblaw Cos. Ltd. chairman Galen Weston made an inaccurate statement about Australian grocery rules to a House of Commons committee, according to groups representing independent grocers, food suppliers and farmers.

The rubberstamped sale of HSBC's Canadian operations to RBC will lessen competition onmortgage rates, says one analyst who touted the bank's key role in lowering borrowing costs through its presence in Canada.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Federal Reserve’s preferred measure of prices fell last month, another sign that inflation is easing and that Americans should benefit from reduced interest rates and get relief from painful price shocks in 2024.

OTTAWA — The federal government recorded a budgetary deficit of $15.1 billion between April and October, $7 billion of which was in October.

OTTAWA — Statistics Canada says the economy remained flat in October for the third straight month as services-producing industries edged 0.1 per cent higher, while goods-producing industries were unchanged.

OTTAWA — Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland has approved RBC's $13.5-billion takeover of HSBC Canada, despite calls from opposition politicians and other groups to block it over concerns of reduced competition.