Worries about inflation and interest rates returned Wednesday, restraining North American markets from making significant gains.

In Toronto, the S&P/TSX composite Index added 37.63 points or 0.45% to 8428.87. The TSX venture exchange added 12.39 or 0.81% to 1535.16.

The Dow Jones industrial was the only losing index, though it only dropped by a mere 0.85 of a point or 0.01% at 10379.58. The Standard & Poor’s 500 barely edged to the positive, up 1.59 points or 0.14%, to 1133.60. The Nasdaq composite index also made only a slight gain, up 2.64 points, or 0.13%, to finish at 1998.24.

All of the TSX sub-indices made small gains, with the exception of the financials, which slid 0.22%. Investors fled to safe ground. Golds, the second best performing group of the day, added 1.83%, while the diversified metals and mining sub-index was up 2.74%.

Resource stocks were led by Noranda Inc., which gained $2.07 to $24.06 and was one of the most active stocks on the TSX. Reports surfaced Wednesday that Brazilian iron ore giant CVRD will make a bid. Noranda controlling shareholder Brascan ran up $1.98 to $37.55. Noranda confirmed it is considering “several expressions of interest” from potential buyers.

In the U.S., the number of home-building permits rose by 3.5% in May, the highest level since February 1973. Meanwhile, big industry production surged 1.1% last month, the strongest showing in almost six years.

Investors viewed strong housing and industrial production data as more reasons for the U.S. Federal Reserve to raise interest rates.