Canada's main stock index rose more than 100 points Thursday while U.S. stock markets climbed steadily throughout the day to post gains of more than one per cent.

The S&P/TSX Composite Index was up 110.17 points, or 0.54 per cent, at 20,564.49.

In New York, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 383.19 points at 34,029.69. The S&P 500 Index was up 54.27 points at 4,146.22, while the Nasdaq Composite was up 236.93 points at 12,166.27.

The Canadian dollar traded for 74.86 cents U.S. compared with 74.37 cents U.S. on Wednesday.

The May crude oil contract was down US$1.10 at US$82.16 per barrel and the May natural gas contract was down nine cents at US$2.01 per mm/BTU.

The June gold contract was up US$30.40 at US$2,055.30 an ounce and the May copper contract was up four cents at US$4.12 a pound.