June 18 (Reuters) - Canada's main stock index gained on Tuesday, driven by precious metal miners and energy companies, ahead of the Federal Reserve's two-day monetary policy meeting.
* Sentiment was buoyed by ECB President Mario Draghi's comments indicating a possibility of new rate cuts or asset purchases and investors hoped for a similar accommodative stance from the Federal Reserve. The materials sector .GSPTTMT , which includes precious and base metals miners and fertilizer companies, rose 1.2% as gold prices neared 14-month highs. GOL/ MET/L
* At 9:44 a.m. ET (13:44 GMT), the Toronto Stock Exchange's S&P/TSX composite index .GSPTSE was up 125.04 points, or 0.76%, at 16,478.49.
* The energy sector .SPTTEN climbed 1.1% as U.S. crude CLc1 prices were up 1.5% per barrel, while Brent crude LCOc1 added 0.6%. O/R
* Ten of the index's 11 major sectors were higher, with only the defensive consumer staples .GSPTTCS posting a small loss.
* On the TSX, 218 issues were higher, while 18 issues declined for a 12.11-to-1 ratio favouring gainers, with traded volumes touching 23.20 million shares.
* The largest percentage gainer on the TSX was Westshore Terminals Investment Corp WTE.TO , which jumped 6.2%. This was followed by Canfor Corp CFP.TO , which rose 6.2%.
* Hudson's Bay HBC.TO fell 2.4%, the most on the TSX, after activist shareholder Jonathan Litt lambasted a C$1.74 billion bid to take the Canadian retailer private as "woefully inadequate". The most heavily traded shares by volume were BCE Inc BCE.TO , Argex Titanium Inc RGX.TO and Bombardier BBDb.TO .
* The TSX posted 24 new 52-week highs and no new low.
* Across all Canadian issues, there were 105 new 52-week highs and five new lows, with total volume touching 40.07 million shares.