The health-care sector helped boost Canada’s main stock index on Tuesday despite sliding energy prices, as the loonie lost ground.

The S&P/TSX composite index was up 10.52 points to 16,114.03, with shares of Valeant Pharmaceuticals International Inc. up nearly 7% at the closing of markets.

In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average advanced 118.77 points to 24,504.80. The S&P 500 index added 4.12 points to 2,664.11 and the Nasdaq composite index was down 12.76 points to 6,862.32.

The Canadian dollar closed at an average trading price of US77.69¢, down 0.11 of a U.S. cent.

The January crude contract tumbled US85¢ to US$57.14 per barrel and the January natural gas contract gave back US15¢ to US$2.68 per mmBTU.

The February gold contract fell US$5.20 to US$1,241.70 an ounce and the March copper contract was up US1¢ at US$3.02 a pound.