TORONTO - The overall Toronto stock market was little changed Thursday as investors reacted enthusiastically to major dealmaking in Canada's financial sector and strong earnings results from TD Bank (TSX:TD). Canada's biggest independent brokerage Canaccord Financial Inc. (TSX:CF) has acquired Toronto-based Genuity Capital Markets for about $290 million. The companies announced early Thursday that Vancouver-based Canaccord will pay about $232-million of the price in stock and $30 million in cash. Canaccord shares ran ahead 90 cents or 10.47 per cent to $9.50. The S&P/TSX composite index climbed 5.5 points to 11,858.4 in early trading Thursday after rising 25 points on Wednesday, its third straight day of gains, as commodity and tech stocks fell back. The Canadian dollar was ahead 0.05 of a cent to 96.95 cents US. TD Bank shares were up $1.44 to $69.80 as it reported its net income rose to $1.3 billion in its latest quarter, essentially doubling what it earned a year earlier. Adjusted net income was $1.43 billion or $1.60 a share, handily beating estimates of $1.35 a share. Revenue was a record $5 billion, also above estimates, while loan loss provisions declined. Most of the big banks have handed in earnings over the past week with only Royal Bank (TSX:RY) narrowly missing expectations. Bank of Nova Scotia (TSX:BNS) reports quarterly earnings on Tuesday. Commodity stocks were weak as oil prices declined slightly. The energy sector was little changed as the April crude contract on the New York Mercantile Exchange down a 70 cents to US$80.17 a barrel. Canadian Natural Resources Litd (TSX:CNQ) handed in quarterly net earnings of $455 million, down from $1.77 billion a year ago. The company also said it is raising its quarterly dividend by 43 per cent to 15 cents a share. CNQ shares rose 14 cents to $71.90. April gold on the Nymex was down $9 to US$1,13.30 an ounce, taking the TSX global gold index down 0.48 per cent. Goldcorp Inc. (TSX:G) fell 28 cents to $41.15. The base metals sector was flat with May copper off five cents to US$3.38 a pound. HudBay Minerals (TSX:HBM) fell 77 cents to $13.28. The TSX telecom sector dipped 0.32 per cent after the Conservative government announced in its Throne Speech Wednesday that .

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