Sept 19 (Reuters) - Canada’s main stock index hit a record high on Thursday, powered by gains in commodity-linked materials and energy sectors.
* The Toronto Stock Exchange’s S&P/TSX Composite index set a new all-time high of 16859.59 points.
* At 9:58 a.m. ET (1358 GMT), TSX was up 58.04 points, or 0.35%, at 16,858.33.
* Ten of the index’s 11 major sectors were higher with the materials sector adding 0.8%.
* The sector, which includes precious and base metals miners and fertilizer companies, rose after gold bounced above $1,500 an ounce as focus returned to global growth risks and Middle East tensions.
* The largest percentage gainers on the TSX were shares of gold miners Iamgold Corp, which jumped 3.1%, followed by those of Barrick Gold, which rose 2.8%.
* The energy sector climbed 0.6%, mirroring gains in oil prices which were supported by supply risks as the market assesses the fallout from last weekend’s drone attacks on Saudi oil infrastructure.
* U.S. crude prices were up 1% a barrel, while Brent crude added 1.7%.
* Canada added 49,300 jobs in August as hiring in the trade, transportation and utilities sector led broad-based gains, according to a report from ADP released on Thursday.
* Canadian home prices rose for the fourth consecutive month in August, while the annual increase in prices picked up for the first time in nine months, data on Thursday showed.
* On the TSX, 164 issues were higher, while 66 issues declined for a 2.48-to-1 ratio favouring gainers, with 15.61 million shares traded.
* CannTrust Holdings fell 2.9%, the most on the TSX, followed by shares of West Fraser, down 2.4%.
* The most heavily traded shares by volume were BCE Inc , Canadian Imperial Bank and Black Iron Inc .
* The TSX posted three new 52-week highs and no new low.
* Across all Canadian issues there were 25 new 52-week highs and three new lows, with total volume of 23.45 million shares. (Reporting by Shreyashi Sanyal in Bengaluru; Editing by Shailesh Kuber)
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