How the Dow Jones industrial average fared on Friday

The Federal Reserve on Thursday released the Minutes of its September meeting, which showed that most FOMC members are confident that its benchmark rate could be up this year.

Canadian stocks rallied to the highest level since August, with commodities producers extending advances amid a resurgence in USA dollar-denominated assets from oil to copper. The Nasdaq Composite Index was up 19.64 points, or 0.41 percent, to 4,810.79. The Dow Jones U.S. Airlines <strong>indexstrong> was up 3.8 percent, its strongest gain in about three weeks. The S&P 500 rose 18 points, or 0.9%, to 2013.

Just Energy Group Inc (TSX:JE) posted its new 52-week high of 9.01 on Friday after its stock gained 2.39 percent.

Suncor Energy Inc lost 1.3 percent to C$36.67 and TransCanada Corp fell 1.7 percent to C$45.05.

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On the economic front, import prices edged down 0.1 percent in September, less than market expectations of a 0.4 percent drop, said the US Labour Department on Friday. Gold prices climbed (http://www.marketwatch.com/story/metals-rally-after-as-us-rate-hike-expectations-fade-2015-10-09) as the dollar pulled back, gaining $7.20 to $1,151.50 an ounce.

Combined with recent jobs and trade data, the minutes helped reinforce the view that the Fed will not raise rates later this month and may delay its first rate hike into next year.

North American stock markets were near break-even Thursday morning, dipping slightly after a series of gains.

The Dow is down 738.58 points, or 4.1 percent.

Software and data storage company EMC rose 4.7 per cent on a Wall Street Journal report it is in advanced talks to be acquired for privately-held Dell for about US$50 billion. Brent crude oil was on track for its biggest weekly rise since March 2009, while the dollar fell.

According to the minutes released Thursday afternoon, policymakers were concerned about reaching their inflation target of 2 percent and the impact of the global economic slowdown.

"If last night's Alcoa figures are setting a template for this latest US reporting season, then markets could see last quarter's $11 trillion equity valuation collapse being added to", said Alastair McCaig, senior market analyst at IG. US crude oil rose, while the dollar fell.

London's benchmark FTSE 100 index closed up 0.61 per cent to 6,374.82 points compared with Wednesday's close.

Emerging currencies also got a lift from the perception that the Fed will opt to keep rates low for a while longer, with Indonesia's rupiah rising over 3 percent.