* TSX up 3.74 points, at record close of 16,029.33
* Hits fourth straight intraday record of 16,105.88
* Six of the TSX's 10 main groups end lower (Updates throughout to close, adds strategist comments)
By Solarina Ho
TORONTO, Nov 1 (Reuters) - Canada's benchmark index squeezed out a record close for a fourth straight day on Wednesday, but was off earlier highs as a retreat in industrials, technology and banking stocks offset an energy rally.
Suncor Energy SU.TO rose 1.1 percent to C$44.26, while Encana Corp ECA.TO saw a 3.6 percent lift to end at C$15.63. Cenovus Energy CVE.TO added 3.9 percent to close at C$13.01.
The three companies were among the index's most influential drivers and helped lift the overall energy sector to its fifth day of gains. The group, which was up 1.5 percent, has advanced more than 8 percent over that period.
Oil and gas companies were powered by crude prices, which touched their highest since mid-2015 earlier in the session. The commodity gave up those gains, however, after weekly U.S. government inventory data showed the latest crude stock draw was less than what an industry trade group had reported. O/R Toronto Stock Exchange's S&P/TSX composite index .GSPTSE finished up 3.74 points at its highest-ever close at 16,029.33. The index rose as high as 16,105.88 during the session, for its fourth-straight intraday record and was on track for its eighth straight week of gains.
Six of the index's 10 biggest groups lost ground.
"We continue to see risk appetite staying healthy for equities," said Kash Pashootan, chief executive and chief investment officer at First Avenue Investment Counsel Inc.
"You have to be cautious in how you play this market. You have to build some defense in the portfolio, but not too much defense," added Pashootan, whose portfolio has a 12 percent weighting in cash and 5 percent in gold.
Hudson's Bay Co HBC.TO ended 9.1 percent higher at C$12.29 after it confirmed a Reuters report that Karstadt owner Signa had made an unsolicited offer for HBC's European Kaufhof chain. were down 0.8 percent, with Air Canada AC.TO and WestJet Airlines WJA.TO both slumping more than 5.5 percent. Air Canada ended at C$24.10, while WestJet finished at C$25.50. Some analysts cut their WestJet price target and forecast on a disappointing outlook. Inc SHOP.TO fell 3.6 percent to 123.68, extending its post-earnings losses. The broader technology sector fell 1.7 percent. services dipped 0.2 percent, hurt in large part by a 5.6 percent drop to C$56.95 in Thomson Reuters Corp TRI.TO after it reported a revenue miss amid uncertainty in Europe. issues outnumbered declining ones on the TSX by 138 to 104.