By Fergal Smith
(Reuters) -Canada’s commodity-linked main stock index inched up to a record closing high on Tuesday, adding to blockbuster third-quarter gains, as resource shares benefited from higher oil and gold prices after an escalation in the Middle East conflict.
The Toronto Stock Exchange’s S&P/TSX composite index ended up 33.62 points, or 0.1%, at 24,033.99, slightly eclipsing the record closing high it posted on Thursday.
“With some of the concerns in the Middle East and the strength in oil and the commodities, the TSX did well versus some of the other peers,” said Greg Taylor, a portfolio manager at Purpose Investments.
U.S. stocks fell as investors grew more cautious after Iran fired missiles at Israel.
The TSX’s energy sector climbed 3.4% as oil settled 2.4% higher at $69.83 a barrel. Gold, a traditional safe haven, also rose, helping to lift metal mining shares.
The materials sector, which includes metal miners and fertilizer…
