TSX today: Energy stocks help lift index 0.16% higher

Strength in the energy sector helped lift Canada's main stock index higher in late-morning trading, while U.S. stock markets moved lower to start the trading week.

The S&P/TSX Composite Index was up 31.6 points, or 0.16 per cent, at 19,502.79.

In New York, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 46.57 points at 32,815.23. The S&P 500 index was down 16.37 points at 3,884.69, while the Nasdaq Composite was down 108.18 points at 10,994.27.

The Canadian dollar traded for 73.18 cents U.S. compared with 73.45 cents U.S. on Friday.

The December crude contract was down 68 cents at US$87.22 per barrel and the December natural gas contract was up 55 cents at US$6.24 per mmBTU.

The December gold contract was down US$2.00 at US$1,642.80 an ounce and the December copper contract was down four cents at US$3.39 a pound.