CANADA STOCKS-TSX hits 2-1/2-year high as gold miners rally

    * TSX rises 35.95 points, or 0.26 percent, to 13,867.53 
    * Seven of the 10 main index sectors advance 
    * Gold-mining sector jumps 2.4 percent 
 
    By John Tilak 
    TORONTO, Jan 17 (Reuters) - Canada's main stock index 
climbed to its highest in 2-1/2 years on Friday after a jump in 
the price of bullion boosted Barrick Gold Corp   , 
Goldcorp Inc    and other gold miners, helping offset 
weakness in the industrial sector. 
    The resource-sensitive Canadian market got a further boost 
as higher oil prices lifted shares of energy producers. 
    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. 
    "There's definitely a will to buy equities. There are very 
little immediate headwinds," said Kevin Headland, director, 
portfolio advisory group, at Manulife Asset Management. 
    "Canada seems to be moving higher based on better global 
economic data and expectation of the demand for resources," he 
added.  
    The benchmark S&P/TSX composite index    was up 35.95 
points, or 0.26 percent, at 13,867.53 after touching 13,871.04, 
its highest level since mid-2011. 
    Headland, who expects the TSX to add 6-8 percent this year, 
said the index will perform more in sync with the U.S. market 
than it did in 2013, when the S&P 500's    gains were far 
stronger.  
    Seven of the TSX index's 10 main sectors were higher on 
Friday. 
    Shares of gold producers jumped 2.4 percent. Barrick rose 
2.8 percent to C$20.48, and Goldcorp Inc    firmed 2 percent 
to C$24.87. 
    The energy sector was up 0.2 percent, with Suncor Energy Inc 
   adding 0.5 percent to C$37.71. 
    But the industrial sector gave back 0.2 percent, with 
Canadian National Railway Co   , the country's largest 
rail operator, losing 0.2 percent to C$58.51. 
    ($1=$1.10 Canadian) 
 
 (Editing by Peter Galloway) 
 ((john.tilak@thomsonreuters.com)(1-416-687-7918)(Reuters 
Messaging: john.tilak.reuters.com@reuters.net)) 
  
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