April 15 (Reuters) - Canada's main stock index rose on Wednesday, with tech and financial shares leading gains, as optimism around the possible resumption of Middle East peace talks continued to lift investor sentiment.
At 10:30 a.m. ET, the S&P/TSX Composite Index was up 0.3% at 34,223.89 points, in line with gains on Wall Street. It had closed the previous session at a six-week high.
U.S. President Donald Trump has said the war with Iran could end soon, telling the world to watch out for an "amazing two days" as U.S. forces imposed a blockade on Iranian ports.
"Markets are taking their cues from developments around Iran... but Canada's oil-heavy exposure means softer crude prices are limiting how far the rebound can go," said Brian Madden, chief investment officer at First Avenue Investment Counsel.
Technology shares were up 2.2% on the TSX, with Shopify among the top gainers with a 7.6% jump. The heavyweight financial sector advanced 0.6%.
The energy sector also rose 0.1%, with oil prices stabilizing after a steep fall in the previous session. [O/R]
On the regulatory front, Canada's banking regulator has said it is reviewing lenders' exposure to private credit amid growing concerns around the health of the market in the U.S.
Corporate earnings in the U.S. and Canada are also in focus as investors watch for clues on how companies are tackling headwinds from the Iran war.
Among individual movers, BRP slumped 39.9% to its lowest level since August, after the boat maker suspended its guidance, followed by rating downgrades by at least three brokerages.
The stock weighed on the consumer discretionary sector, which fell 1.8%.
(Reporting by Tharuniyaa Lakshmi in Bengaluru; Editing by Jonathan Ananda)
By Tharuniyaa Lakshmi
