Major North American markets were relatively flat Monday while awaiting a trifecta of news this week.

The S&P/TSX composite index gained 32.94 points to 16,518.88.

In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average advanced 17.70 points to 27,171.90. The S&P 500 index rose 8.42 points to 2,988.03, while the Nasdaq composite moved up 57.64 points to 8,204.13.

The Canadian dollar traded for US76.32¢ compared with an average of US76.51¢ on Friday.

The September crude contract gained US46¢ to US$56.22 per barrel and the August natural gas contract rose US6.1¢ to US$2.31 per mmBTU.

The August gold contract advanced US20¢ to US$1,426.90 an ounce and the September copper contract shed US3¢ to US$2.72 a pound.