CANADA STOCKS-TSX closes higher, rally in gold stocks offsets weaker energy

(Adds analyst quote, adds details, updates prices)
* TSX up 34.1 points, or 0.26 percent, to 13,358.77
* Seven of the TSX's 10 main groups rise

By Fergal Smith
TORONTO, Dec 4 (Reuters) - Canada's main stock index closed
higher on Friday, helped by a rally in gold stocks and firming
in financials, while weakness in crude oil prices weighed on the
energy sector.
The rally in gold miners was "the big feature," according to
John Ing, president of Maison Placements Canada, adding that
they "were very oversold."
Gold futures GCc1 rallied more than $22, while U.S. crude
oil prices settled below $40 a barrel after the Organization of
the Petroleum Exporting Countries failed to agree on a new
production quota.
Barrick Gold Corp ABX.TO advanced 7.1 percent to C$10.81,
while Goldcorp Inc G.TO was up 5.8 percent at C$17.03.
The overall materials sector, which includes miners,
fertilizer companies and lumber producers, rose more than 3
percent.
Financials rose 0.5 percent, including a 0.9 percent gain
for Toronto-Dominion Bank TD.TO to C$54.77.
The Toronto Stock Exchange's S&P/TSX composite index
.GSPTSE closed up 34.1 points, or 0.26 percent, at 13,358.77,
but little changed for the week.
Seven of the index's 10 main groups were in positive
territory.
Energy stocks fell 2.2 percent, including a 2.0 percent drop
in Suncor Energy Inc SU.TO to C$36.03.
U.S. crude CLc1 prices settled at $39.97 a barrel, down
2.7 percent, while Brent crude LCOc1 lost 1.5 percent to
$43.19. O/R
Canadian Pacific Railway CP.TO fell 4.1 percent to
C$180.15 after Norfolk Southern Corp (N:NSC) rejected its $28.4 billion
acquisition proposal.
U.S. jobs data suggested that the economy is strong enough
to sustain a Federal Reserve rate hike this month, overshadowing
disappointing Canadian jobs and trade data.