TORONTO -- Canada's main stock index closed down as the key energy, financial and materials sectors all lost ground while U.S. markets were up and the loonie rose.

The S&P/TSX composite index closed down 51.36 points at 16,179.89 as gains in health-care, consumer staples and information technology weren't enough to counter losses in larger sectors.

In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average closed up 98.46 points at 24,216.05. The S&P 500 index ended up 16.68 points at 2,716.31 and the Nasdaq composite index was up 58.59 points at 7,503.68.

The Canadian dollar averaged 75.37 cents US, up 0.22 of a U.S. cent.

The August crude contract ended up 69 cents at US$73.45 per barrel and the August natural gas contract was down four cents at US$2.94 per mmBTU.

The August gold contract closed down $5.10 at US$1,251 an ounce and the September copper contract was down four cents at US$2.97 a pound.