TORONTO: Canada's main stock index edged higher on Tuesday as a rise in energy stocks boosted by stronger US oil prices was partially offset by weakness in some commodity producers, weighed down by weak copper prices.
With the price of copper dropping 2.2 percent, First Quantum Minerals Ltd shed 2.7 percent to C$23.71 and Teck Resources Ltd declined 1 percent to C$23.91.
The price of US crude oil rebounded after a three-day losing streak. Stocks have been fluctuating amid a dearth of major economic catalysts.
Next week, however, investors will be able to assess the impact of the Scottish referendum as well as a policy meeting of the US Federal Reserve.
While the benchmark TSX is up about 14 percent this year, it has fallen in each of the previous three sessions.
"There's some general exhaustion," said Colin Cieszynski, chief market strategist at CMC Markets Canada. "(The markets) ran up so much and there hasn't really been any news to propel them higher, so they're starting to come back down."
"The fallout from those two events is likely to dominate trading for the rest of the month," he added.
The Toronto Stock Exchange's S&P/TSX composite index was up 18.54 points, or 0.12 percent, at 15,527.93. Five of the 10 main sectors on the index rose.
Shares of energy producers climbed 0.5 percent, with Canadian Natural Resources Ltd rising 0.5 percent to C$44.94 and Talisman Energy Inc advancing 1.2 percent to C$10.92.
Financials, the index's most heavily weighted sector, slipped 0.3 percent. Toronto Dominion Bank gave back 0.3 percent to C$57.28 and Bank of Montreal lost 0.3 percent to C$83.94.
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