CANADA STOCKS-Gold miners take TSX to 2-1/2-year high

    * TSX rises 56.63 points, or 0.41 percent, to 13,888.21 
    * Index up 1 percent this week 
    * Six of 10 main index sectors advance 
    * Gold-mining sector jumps 3.9 percent 
 
    By John Tilak 
    TORONTO, Jan 17 (Reuters) - Canada's main stock index 
climbed on Friday to its highest in 2-1/2 years as rising 
bullion prices helped push up gold-mining shares such as Barrick 
Gold Corp    and Goldcorp Inc   , offsetting a weak 
performance by the industrial sector. 
    Trading volumes were also strong, with about 397 million 
shares changing hands, compared with an average daily volume of 
about 316 million shares in December, according to Thomson 
Reuters data and figures from market operator TMX Group. 
    Investors were also tracking data that showed a drop in U.S. 
housing starts in December that might have been partly the 
result of frigid weather during the month.    
    The Toronto Stock Exchange's benchmark index, which gained 
9.6 percent last year, has advanced in eight of the last nine 
sessions. It added about 1 percent this week. 
    Some investors are hoping that the upcoming Canadian 
earnings season will be another catalyst for the market. 
    "The sentiment in the market is quite positive," said Ben 
Jang, a portfolio manager who helps manage about C$2.5 billion 
in assets at Nicola Wealth Management.   
    "With momentum pushing the TSX Composite up, (investors) are 
relying on earnings to give something concrete to help move the 
markets further," he added. 
    The benchmark S&P/TSX composite index    closed up 
56.63 points, or 0.41 percent, at 13,888.21, after touching 
13,910.38, its highest level since mid-2011. 
    Jang expects the Canadian market to gain 8 to 9 percent this 
year but slightly lag U.S. stock market growth. "The overall 
commodity space will be quite volatile," he said. 
    Six of the TSX index's 10 main sectors were higher on 
Friday. 
    Shares of gold producers jumped 3.9 percent, reflecting a 1 
percent gain in the bullion price. Barrick rose 3.5 percent to 
C$20.61, and Goldcorp Inc    firmed 4.3 percent to C$25.43. 
    Financials, the index's most heavily weighted group, 
advanced 0.3 percent. Bank of Montreal    was trading up 
0.5 percent, at C$72.65. 
    But the industrial sector gave back 0.3 percent. Bombardier 
Inc    slipped 1.4 percent to C$4.11, and Canadian 
National Railway Co    lost 0.1 percent to C$58.58. 
    ($1=$1.10 Canadian) 
     
 
 (Editing by Peter Galloway and Meredith Mazzilli) 
 ((john.tilak@thomsonreuters.com)(1-416-687-7918)(Reuters 
Messaging: john.tilak.reuters.com@reuters.net)) 
  
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