Toronto stocks rise as commodity prices heat up

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(Reuters)

TORONTO (Reuters) - The Toronto Stock Exchange's main index shot up at the start of trade on Friday with resource shares rising with bullish commodity prices, but it then handed back some of its gains.

The index's energy sector rose 2 percent to a record high as crude oil futures soared more than $3.50 to a record $127.82 a barrel.

The materials sector, which includes miners, was almost as hot with gold up more than $15 an ounce and copper, zinc and aluminum trading higher.

"You've got gold and oil cooking again," said Bruce Latimer, trader at Dundee Securities. "Oil at least should last, with the world getting bigger everyday and more demand from Brazil, Russia, India and China."

The S&P/TSX composite index pared early gains, but was still up 100.88 points, or 0.7 percent, at 14,928.94 at midmorning. According to TSX charts, the index was briefly above the 15,000 mark at the open.

Oil and gas companies were the top gainers. Suncor Energy was up C$1.94 at C$66.82, and Canadian Natural Resources , was up C$2.25 at C$100.50.

Barrick Gold , the world's biggest gold producer, rose 81 Canadian cents to C$39.86, the TSX gold subsector was up 1.5 percent.

Canadian financial shares advanced early but dipped into the red after data released after the opening bell showed U.S. consumer sentiment was at its worst level in 28 years.

TSX financial stocks fell 0.5 percent, with Royal Bank of Canada off 36 Canadian cents at C$50.27.

($1=$1.00 Canadian)

(Reporting by Jonathan Spicer; Editing by Peter Galloway)