Canada's main stock market closes slightly higher

Canada's main stock market ended almost flat Tuesday. Toronto Stock Exchange's S&P/TSX composite index gained slightly 10.9 points, or 0.08 percent, to close at 13,692.38 points. The S&P/TSX composite index gainers were led by the metals sector. Thompson Creek Metals jumped 18.99 percent to 2.82 Canadian dollars (2.58 U.S. dollars), and the copper producer, Teck Resources Limited, rose 0.88 percent to 26.29 Canadian dollars. The telecom sector also advanced 0.57 percent, while the financials shares lost 0.37 percent. Canadian National Railway's shares declined 0.92 percent, or 54 cents, to 58.29 Canadian dollars in Tuesday trading, while Canadian Pacific Railway gained 0.17 percent to 163.71 Canadian dollars. The Canadian currency rate went down against U.S. dollar as the winter Business Outlook Survey, released by Bank of Canada Monday, provided some positive signs for Canadian economic outlook, notably for exports and investment, but the bank also said firms remain concerned about weak demand and domestic uncertainty, and sales expectations were supported by improvements in the United States. The Canadian dollar closed down at 0.9134 U.S. dollar Tuesday, compared with 0.9209 U.S. dollar in Monday's trading.