The Globe and Mail reports in its Friday edition that Canada's main stock index rose on Thursday, adding to the previous day's strong gains, as investors cheered U.S. bank earnings and a drop in long-term borrowing costs. A Reuters dispatch to The Globe says that U.S. stocks closed modestly lower. The S&P/TSX Composite Index ended up 56.90 points at 24,846.20, its highest closing level since Jan. 9. On Wednesday, the index posted its biggest gain since November. "You had good bank earnings which continued [Thursday] out of the U.S., but you also had interest sensitive stocks rallying on this notion that U.S. inflation numbers came in maybe slightly better than expected, and that rally has continued today," said Allan Small, senior investment adviser at iA Private Wealth. The financials sector added 0.7 per cent and technology was up 0.9 per cent. Utilities climbed 2 per cent. The sector contains many high-dividend stocks that become more attractive when bond yields fall. Canada's 10-year yield fell for a second straight day, declining 7.7 basis points to 3.342 per cent. Nasdaq was dragged lower in part by a 4-per-cent drop in Apple after data showed rivals Vivo and Huawei overtaking the iPhone in Chinese sales.