CANADA STOCKS-TSX advances on U.S. data, Ukraine relief

    * TSX rises 20.99 points, or 0.15 percent, to 14,320.90 
    * Eight of 10 main index sectors advance 
    * Pembina Pipeline jumps after being added to S&P/TSX 60 
index 
 
    By John Tilak 
    TORONTO, March 26 (Reuters) - Canada's main stock index 
climbed on Wednesday, led by gains in the energy and financial 
sectors as bullish U.S. economic data and an easing of tensions 
over Ukraine helped support sentiment. 
    Data showed a rebound in orders for long-lasting U.S. 
manufactured goods in February, with shipments showing strength 
after two straight months of declines.    
    Investors, who have been plagued in recent weeks by fears 
the situation in Ukraine could spiral out of control, were 
appreciating the calm after Russia and the West appeared to draw 
a line in the crisis.    
    The Toronto market gained for a second straight session and 
is up about 5 percent this year.  
    "The markets are fighting their fight. It's an arm wrestle 
between earnings and worries, and earnings continue to win," 
said Barry Schwartz, vice president and portfolio manager at 
Baskin Financial Services. 
    "We believe we are at the beginning stages of a multi-year 
recovery in North America," he added. "There are a number of 
reasonably priced Canadian companies across the board."  
    The Toronto Stock Exchange's S&P/TSX composite index 
   was up 20.99 points, or 0.15 percent, at 14,320.90. 
    Eight of the 10 main sectors on the index were higher. 
    Financials, the index's most heavily weighted sector, rose 
0.2 percent, with Royal Bank of Canada    advancing 0.4 
percent to C$72.99. 
    Energy shares, which received a boost from higher U.S. crude 
oil prices, climbed 0.3 percent. Canadian Natural Resources Ltd 
   rose 0.4 percent to C$41.89, and Enbridge Inc    
added 0.5 percent to C$50.03. 
    A decline in the materials sector, which includes mining 
stocks, helped limit the index's gains. Goldcorp Inc    shed 
2.5 percent to C$27.78. 
    Turquoise Hill    dropped 2.9 percent, to C$3.71, 
after technical problems hurt first-quarter production at the 
Oyu Tolgoi copper and gold mine in Mongolia. Turquoise Hill owns 
a majority interest in Oyu Tolgoi and is controlled by Rio Tinto 
  .    
    In other corporate news, Pembina Pipeline    jumped as 
much as 4.6 percent, hitting a 52-week high, after being added 
to the S&P/TSX 60    index late on Tuesday. 
    "There's no hype to Pembina Pipeline. It's a real company 
that delivers the goods," said Schwartz, whose Baskin Financial 
owns the stock. "What I care about is owning companies that 
provide products and services that we cannot live without, and 
Pembina Pipeline is one of them."  
 
 (Editing by Chris Reese) 
 ((john.tilak@thomsonreuters.com)(1-416-687-7918)(Reuters 
Messaging: john.tilak.reuters.com@reuters.net)) 
  
((============================================================== 
FOR CANADIAN MARKETS NEWS, CLICK ON CODES IN BRACKETS:    
TSX market report........................................ .TO   
Canadian dollar and bonds report................... CAD/  CA/   
Reuters global stocks poll (Canada)...    EPOLL/CA   
Top News: Canada .................................... TOP/CAN   
FOR CANADIAN MARKETS DATA.............................   )) 
 
Keywords: MARKETS CANADA/STOCKS