The Globe and Mail reports in its Thursday, Aug. 6, edition that Canada's main stock index hit a record high on Wednesday, driven by significant gains in metal mining shares and Shopify, which reported strong quarterly results and an optimistic outlook. A Reuters dispatch to The Globe reports that the on Wednesday the Toronto Stock Exchange's S&P/TSX Composite Index ended up 344.83 points, or 1 per cent, at 36,146.42, surpassing Tuesday's record closing high. Shopify shares jumped 16.5 per cent to the highest level since Jan. 19. The broader TSX technology index advanced 2.5 per cent, while the materials group added 5.6 per cent, marking its second straight day of sharp gains. The price of gold was up 4.2 per cent to trade at its highest level in nearly seven weeks, bolstered by easing bond yields and positive chart signals. Consumer discretionary rose 1.3 per cent in Toronto and heavily weighted financials ended 0.4 per cent higher. Four of the 10 major sectors ended lower, including energy, which fell 3 per cent. The price of oil settled 0.7 per cent lower at $75.22 (U.S.) a barrel on revived expectations of a de-escalation in Iran war hostilities that could restore shipping traffic in the Strait of Hormuz.