Toronto stocks posted slight gains on Wednesday, as the day’s earnings reports left investors waiting for a firm recovery in profits.

The Toronto Stock Exchange 300 composite index advanced 26.53 points to 7,868.10 on strength in gold, utilities and energy stocks.

Overall, 10 of the TSE 300’s 14 sub-indexes closed higher. Golds and precious minerals led with a 3.7% gain, followed by a 2% rise in the transportation group.

Barrick Gold Corp. closed up $1.06 at $28.96, while Placer Dome Inc. was up 90¢ at $19.20.

The TSX Venture Exchange was up 2.50 at 1,157.67.

In New York, blue-chips relinquished a portion of the previous session’s gains Wednesday as investors took profits following another wave of positive earnings news and bullish comments from Fed Chairman Alan Greenspan.

Greenspan told a congressional committee that the U.S. economy is improving slowly and inflation is in check, so there’s no need for interest rates — currently at record lows — to rise soon.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average ended down 80.54 points to 10,220.78. The Nasdaq lost 5.93 points to 1,810.86, and the S&P 500 was down 2.28 points to 1,126.09.

Earnings reports from Boeing and United Technologies weighed on the Dow.

The Canadian dollar hit a four-month high on Wednesday morning buoyed by Tuesday’s Bank of Canada rate rise and optimism that interest rate spreads between Canada and the United States will widen.

The loonie closed up US0.26¢ at US63.50¢, its highest close since December 19.