Strength in the energy, utility and industrial sectors helped Canada's main stock post a small gain Tuesday despite weakness in metals, while U.S. markets were mixed.

The S&P/TSX Composite Index was up 67.13 points, or 0.33 per cent, at 20,457.46.

In New York, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 391.76 points, or 1.14 per cent, at 33,910.85. The S&P 500 Index was down 8.12 points at 3,990.97, while the Nasdaq Composite was up 15.96 points at 11,095.11.

The Canadian dollar traded for 74.68 cents U.S. compared with 74.64 cents U.S. on Monday.

The February crude contract was up 32 cents at US$80.18 per barrel and the February natural gas contract was up 17 cents at US$3.59 per mmBTU.

The February gold contract was down US$11.80 at US$1,909.90 an ounce and the March copper contract was up less than a cent at US$4.22 a pound.