12:11 PM EDT, 08/08/2024 (MT Newswires) -- The Toronto Stock Exchange is up 305 points at midday, led by gains in all sectors.

The biggest gainers are miners (+2.5%) and technology (+2.4%). Bitfarms (BITF.TO), is up 22% to $3.175 and the most actively traded, after it reported its second quarter results earlier today.

Oil edged higher early on Thursday, rising for a third day as strong summer demand in the United States and geopolitical risks top concerns over slowing economies in the U.S. and China.

Gold traded higher for a second day even as the dollar and yields climbed after U.S. initial jobless claims rose less than expected last week, easing worries over the health of the country's labor market.

But natural gas traded lower ahead of the release of storage data even as forecasts warm.

Rosenberg Research in the 'Early Morning With Dave' note caught the mood in noting the stock market has "become a casino where the dealer has suddenly become a joker". It noted: "Futures are all over the map, then it's a raging bull market in the morning, and a roaring bear market in the afternoon." Yesterday, the research said, extended the long list of days when equities rally and then cannot hold the gains into the close.