The Globe and Mail reports in its Wednesday edition that U.S. stocks were lower Tuesday as comments from U.S. President Donald Trump and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent provided little clarity to the timeline for any trade deals. A Reuters dispatch to The Globe says Canadian stocks managed to close slightly higher, outperforming Wall Street with the help of rallies in oil and gold prices. Mr. Trump said he will review potential trade deals over the next two weeks to decide which ones to accept. In addition, Mr. Trump had a meet-and-greet with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney. In economic data, the Commerce Department said U.S. businesses boosted imports of goods in March ahead of the tariff announcements, pushing the country's trade deficit to a record high of $140.5-billion (U.S.). Health care, down 2.8 per cent, was the worst performing of the 11 major S&P sectors, with Eli Lilly down 5.6 per cent and Moderna off 12.3 per cent. The S&P/TSX Composite Index ended up 21.2 points at 24,974.72. The price of oil recouped some recent declines on signs of higher demand in Europe and China. U.S. crude oil futures settled 3.4 per cent higher at $59.09 (U.S.) a barrel, which gave the Toronto energy sector a boost.