(Adds portfolio manager comment, updates prices to close)
* TSX ends up 19.97 points, or 0.13 percent, at 15,191.36
* Energy sectors up 2 pct, Cenovus up 9.5 pct
By Alastair Sharp
TORONTO, July 27 (Reuters) - Canada's main stock index eked out a small gain on Thursday, as higher oil prices broadly boosted energy stocks and Cenovus Energy Inc CVE.TO soared after saying asset sales could exceed its estimates, while Goldcorp Inc G.TO weighed as its earnings disappointed.
The Toronto Stock Exchange's S&P/TSX composite index .GSPTSE ended up 19.97 points, or 0.13 percent, at 15,191.36, with advancers and decliners evenly matched overall.
Goldcorp's fall, ending down 6.2 percent at C$16.07 as production at several sites missed expectations, bucked the trend among gold miners, a string of whom rose on positive earnings surprises.
Barrick Gold Corp ABX.TO , the world's largest gold miner by production, rose 2.9 percent to C$20.76, as investors cheered the news it had produced more gold than expected and lowered its costs. rising bullion stocks included Detour Gold Corp DGC.TO , which surged 13.3 percent to C$15.66 as its profit beat estimates, and Kirkland Lake Gold Ltd KL.TO , up 6.1 percent at C$12.46 after doubling its estimate of reserves at one of its sites.
Energy stocks were up 2 percent overall, with crude jumping to near eight-week highs as a much steeper than expected decline in U.S. inventories encouraged hopes the global crude glut would recede. O/R
Peter Imhof, a portfolio manager at AGF Investments, said Canadian energy stocks were still lagging recent gains in crude prices, in part weighed by a rising Canadian dollar.
Cenovus jumped 9.5 percent to C$10.89 after reporting a profit versus a year-ago loss and providing the divestiture update. stock has been oversold the most because there was a terrible financing that happened" that led to a selloff, with the good news on the day providing the impetus for a bounceback, Imhof said.
West Fraser Timber Co Ltd WFT.TO gained 5.1 percent to C$65.84 after acquiring U.S. assets. miner Cameco Corp CCO.TO gained 3.3 percent to C$12.96 after saying it had settled a U.S. tax dispute for a fraction of the original claim, which helped investors look past the company reporting a wider-than-expected quarterly loss.