Canada’s main stock index posted another flat day even though the key energy sector gained on a rise in the price of oil.

The S&P/TSX composite index closed up 6.39 points to 16,074.30.

In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average was down 72.82 points at 25,985.16. The S&P 500 index was down 1.52 points at 2,792.38, while the Nasdaq composite rose 5.21 points at 7,554.51.

The Canadian dollar traded at an average of US76.07¢ compared with an average of US75.79¢ on Tuesday.

The April crude contract was up US$1.44 at US$56.94 per barrel and the April natural gas contract was up 0.3 of a cent at US$2.80 per mmBTU.

The April gold contract was down US$7.30 at US$1,321.20 an ounce and the May copper contract was up US1.2¢ at US$2.96 a pound.