Canada's main stock index gained almost 100 points Tuesday as strong performance in the energy sector was dragged down by losses in telecom and utilities, while U.S. markets also rose.

The S&P/TSX Composite Index was up 96.08 points, or 0.47 per cent, at 20,725.00.

In New York, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 265.67 points at 34,156.69. The S&P 500 Index was up 52.92 points, or 1.3 per cent, at 4,164, while the Nasdaq Composite was up 226.34 points, or 1.9 per cent, at 12,113.79.

The Canadian dollar traded for 74.43 cents U.S. compared with 74.39 cents U.S. on Monday.

The March crude contract was up US$3.03 at US$77.14 per barrel and the March natural gas contract was up 13 cents at US$2.58 per mmBTU.

The April gold contract was up US$5.30 at US$1,884.80 an ounce and the March copper contract was up five cents at US$4.08 a pound.