* The Toronto Stock Exchange's TSX rises 0.70 percent to 17,028.73
* Leading the index were Aurinia Pharmaceuticals Inc
* Lagging shares were Real Matters Inc (TO:REAL), down 15.1%, Air Canada (TO:AC), down 3.0%, and Parkland Corp (TO:PKI), lower by 3.0%.
* On the TSX 159 issues rose and 58 fell as a 2.7-to-1 ratio favored advancers. There were 5 new highs and no new lows, with total volume of 159.5 million shares.
* The most heavily traded shares by volume were Manulife Financial Corp (TO:MFC), Cenovus Energy Inc (TO:CVE) and Air Canada (TO:AC).
* The TSX's energy group (SPTTEN) rose 0.73 points, or 0.9%, while the financials sector (SPTTFS) climbed 0.92 points, or 0.3%.
* West Texas Intermediate crude futures (CLc1) rose 1.03%, or $0.43, to $42.17 a barrel. Brent crude (LCOc1) rose 1.95%, or $0.86, to $45.06 [O/R]
* The TSX is off 0.2% for the year.