Canada’s main stock index moved higher on some positive earnings results while U.S. markets were slightly lower ahead of an expected interest rate cut.

The S&P/TSX composite index was up 30.61 points at 16,418.14.

In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average was down 19.30 points at 27,071.42. The S&P 500 index was down 2.53 points at 3,036.89, while the Nasdaq composite was down 49.14 points at 8,276.85.

The Canadian dollar traded for an average of US76.48¢ compared with an average of US76.59¢ on Monday.

The December crude contract was down US27¢ at US$55.54 per barrel and the December natural gas contract was up US8.4¢ at US$2.64 per mmBTU.

The December gold contract was down US$5.10 at US$1,490.70 an ounce and the December copper contract was up 0.85 of a cent at US$2.69 a pound.