* TSX up 109.90 points, or 0.83 percent, to 13,420.92
* Nine of the TSX's 10 main groups were higher
TORONTO, March 9 (Reuters) - Canada's benchmark stock index
rose on Wednesday, led higher by energy stocks as crude oil
prices rallied while financial sector stocks gained after the
Bank of Canada chose to hold interest rates steady.
At 11:27 a.m. EST (1627 GMT), the Toronto Stock Exchange's
S&P/TSX composite index .GSPTSE rose 109.90 points, or 0.83
percent, to 13,420.92. Nine of the index's 10 main groups were
in positive territory.
The Bank of Canada left rates unchanged on Wednesday, citing
lower market volatility and stronger non-energy exports as the
central bank waits to assess the impact of government stimulus
due to be unveiled in the upcoming budget.
The energy group climbed 1.6 percent while the financials
group gained 0.5 percent.
The most influential movers on the index were Canadian
Natural Resources CNQ.TO , which rose 2.6 percent to C$34.42,
and Alimentation Couche-Tard ATDb.TO , which gained 2.83
percent to C$60.70. The company said after the market closed on
Tuesday that it had agreed to purchase retail assets from
Imperial Oil IMO.TO in Ontario and Quebec.
Bank of Nova Scotia BNS.TO , Royal Bank of Canada RY.TO
and Toronto-Dominion Bank TD.TO were also among the biggest
gainers.
The materials group, which includes precious and base metals
miners and fertilizer companies, was unchanged.
U.S. crude CLc1 prices were up 3.3 percent to $37.7 a
barrel, while Brent crude LCOc1 added 2.8 percent to
$40.75. O/R
Gold futures GCc1 fell 0.7 percent to $1,252.8 an ounce.
GOL/
Copper prices CMCU3 advanced 1.6 percent to $4,944.5 a
tonne. MET/L
Advancing issues outnumbered declining ones on the TSX by
157 to 75, for a 2.09-to-1 ratio on the upside.
The index posted seven new 52-week highs and one new low.