Strength in gold-mining issues and the energy sector powered Toronto stocks to a higher close on Tuesday. The S&P/TSX composite index rose 43.28 points to close at 8,623.64.

Energy stocks rose 2.5% to lead all sectors. EnCana rose $1.19 to $55.85, while Talisman Energy was up $1.40 at $76.40.

Stronger bullion prices helped gold issues to a gain of 2.6%.

The materials group, which houses gold-mining issues, finished with a gain of 1.4%.

Information technology shares retreated 1.2% as investors moved to lock in profits. It was the end of an 11-session winning streak for tech stocks.

Nortel fell 27¢ to $9; JDS dropped $1.13 to $7.52; Zarlink lost 17¢ to $6.10.

But Research in Motion continued its steady climb, rising another $4.05 to $115.

Among individual stocks, auto part giant Magna International lost its CEO Tuesday, when Belinda Stronach resigned to try for the leadership of the federal Conservative Party. Magna shares fell $1.24 to $105.76.

Rogers Communications shares gained a dime to $24.49 after it inked a partnership deal with Yahoo to provide Rogers’ high-speed internet users with customized Yahoo products and services.

Shaw Communications gained 15¢ to $21 after it reported a first-quarter profit — its first in three years.

TD Bank shares rose $1.16 to $45.46. The bank ‘s Meloche Monnex unit plans to buy the Canadian personal lines property and casualty insurance lines from Boston-based Liberty Mutual Group. TD said the acquisition would add to its 2004 earnings.

The junior S&P/TSX Venture composite index added 19.86 points to finish at 1,794.26.

In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average fell after earnings from 3M and United Technologies disappointed investors.

The Dow slid 71.85 points to 10,528.66. The S&P 500 dipped down 1.06 points to 1,138.77.

Strength in telecommunications shares helped the technology-heavy Nasdaq composite climb 7.52 points to close at 2,147.98.

The U.S. dollar fell against most major world currencies, including the Canadian dollar. That weakness pushed up the loonie by two-thirds of a cent to US77.48¢, despite a quarter percentage point cut in the Bank of Canada’s key lending rate.