Canada’s main stock index climbed to within a few points of a record close as the materials sectors was helped by higher gold prices amid a continued flight to safety by investors.

The S&P/TSX composite index was up 62.59 points at 17,168.06.

In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average was down 119.70 points at 28,583.68. The S&P 500 index was down 9.10 points at 3,237.18, while the Nasdaq composite was down 2.88 points at 9,068.58.

The Canadian dollar traded for US76.87¢ compared with an average of US77.10¢ on Monday.

The February crude contract was down US57¢ at US$62.70 per barrel and the February natural gas contract was up US2.7¢ at US$2.16 per mmBTU.

The February gold contract was up US$5.50 at US$1,574.30 an ounce and the March copper contract was up 0.35 of a cent at US$2.79 a pound.