Toronto stocks got a boost from energy and gold issues Wednesday. At midday, the S&P/TSX composite index was ahead 43.32 points at 8,763.85 on volume of 134 million shares.

Crude-oil futures climbed back above US$54 a barrel in New York after two key U.S. reports revealed declines in distillate and gasoline supplies for last week and showed that crude inventories remained below the year-ago level.

Six of the 10 TSX sectors were higher at midday led by a 1.69% jump in energy stocks.

Canadian Natural Resources was up 68¢ to $50.69, while Suncor rose 64¢ to $42.57.

The materials group was ahead 0.71% as gold stocks soared 3.18%.

Kinross Gold advanced 27¢, or 3.17%, to $8.87, and Barrick Gold added 78¢, or 2.99%, to $26.85.

The industrial group rose 0.77% as Bombardier jumped 7¢, or 2.06%, to $2.76 on volume of 3 million shares.

The consumer, telecommunication and utilities groups were all lower.

The junior S&P/TSX Venture composite index rose 10.71 points or 0.65% to 1,660.97.

The Canadian dollar traded above US80¢ this morning as the U.S. greenback showed more signs of weakness. The loonie was up 0.85 of a cent to US80.40¢.

The rise in the dollar came a day after the Bank of Canada boosted its key overnight rate by 0.25 of a percentage point to 2.50%.

Analysts said the rise had little to do with the day’s economic reports.

Statistics Canada said the leading indicator continued to slow in September. Meanwhile Canadian wholesale sales grew for a sixth consecutive month in August, rising 0.7% to $38.3 billion due in part to a surge in sales in the machinery and electronic equipment sector.

In New York, U.S. stocks traded mostly lower Wednesday as a fresh spike in crude-oil prices and a host of disappointing earnings reports led by JP Morgan and Motorola prompted concern about the future pace of economic growth.

At midday, the Dow Jones industrial average was down 33.32 points or 0.34% at 9,864.30.

JP Morgan fell 2.5% in the wake of its lackluster third quarter performance.

The tech-heavy Nasdaq composite index edged up 4.17 at 1,927.07. The broader S&P 500 shed 2.43 points, to 1,000.80.