Toronto stocks closed higher for the fourth consecutive session of as the market was powered once again by rising commodity prices.

The S&P/TSX composite index gained 66.60 points, or 0.56%, to 11,973.25.

Seven of the 10 TSX main sub-groups were up, with the energy index up 1.73%.

Light, sweet crude for April delivery closed up $1.33 at US$63.10 a barrel over concerns about possible supply disruptions arising from tensions in Iran and Nigeria.

EnCana Corp. rose $2.76, or 5.40%, to $53.88.

The gold sub-index gained 1.06%. The benchmark April contract for bullion rose $5.50 to US$553 an ounce.

Kinross Gold moved up 30¢, or 2.80%, to $11.03.

In corporate news, General Electric has agreed to pay $760 million for Zenon Environmental, a water purification company. Zenon shares gained $8.28, or 53.42%, to $23.78.

Home Capital Group Inc. issued a warning of flat first-quarter results following 42 straight quarters of growth. Shares rose $6.57, or 16.20%, to $33.98.

CHC Helicopter Corp. said it is in talks over a potential takeover offer from two private-equity firms. The company’s shares rose $3.66, or 13.95%, to $29.90.

The Canadian dollar was up 0.07 of a cent at US86.46¢.

The S&P/TSX Venture composite index gained 3.92 points , or 0.15%, to 2,592.85.

In New York, markets were up despite news of a record yearly current-accounts deficit.

The Dow Jones industrials index closed up 75.32 points at 11,151.34, its highest close since June 2001. The Nasdaq Composite Index rose 28.87 points to 2,295.90. The S&P 500 Index gained nearly 13.35 points to 1,297.48, its highest close since May 2001.

The U.S. current account deficit hit an all-time high of US$804.9 billion in 2005. The Commerce Department said the deficit was up 20.4% from the previous record set in 2004.