Canada’s main stock index jumped to a fresh record on Friday after Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell signaled openness to cutting interest rates if economic conditions warrant, lifting risk appetite across global markets. The S&P/TSX Composite rose more than 1% intraday, surpassing 28,300, with broad-based gains led by technology and energy shares as investors cheered the prospect of looser U.S. policy into the autumn. Powell’s remarks were interpreted as keeping the door open to easing, a supportive cue for rate-sensitive sectors and cyclicals leveraged to global growth. Information technology and energy led Friday’s push to new highs, while materials extended gains on expectations for supportive real yields and resilient metals demand. The move also reflected Canada’s sector mix: limited exposure to U.S. mega-cap tech helped insulate the TSX from recent Nasdaq volatility, while resource shares provided ballast as oil stabilized and bullion held near elevated levels.