CANADA STOCKS-TSX rises on gains in healthcare, material shares
Nov 6 (Reuters) - Canada's main stock index rose on Tuesday, driven by gains in shares of healthcare and material companies.
* Better results announced by drugmaker Bausch Health lifted healthcare stocks, while materials companies rose on the back of higher metal and gold prices.
* At 9:36 a.m. ET (1436 GMT), the Toronto Stock Exchange's S&P/TSX Composite index was up 60.65 points, or 0.4 percent, at 15,278.35.
* The healthcare sector rose nearly 2 percent, helped by a 1 percent rise in Bausch Health Companies Inc , after the company topped revenue expectations.
* Nine of the index's 11 major sectors were higher.
* Gold prices rose after investors sought shelter from uncertainty over the outcome of the U.S. midterm elections, helping the materials sector, which include precious and base metals miners, added 0.9 percent.
* Also helping materials stocks were shares of fertilizer and farm supplies dealer Nutrien Ltd, which rose 2.4 percent, after reporting quarterly profit beat and raising its full-year earnings target, driven by strong demand for its potash fertilizers.
* Copper prices steadied as the market waited for the result of the U.S. midterm elections and a monetary policy meeting of the U.S. Federal Reserve later this week.
* Investors also looked at data from Statistics Canada, which showed the value of Canadian building permits increased by 0.4 percent in September from August.
* On the TSX, 188 issues were higher, while 49 issues declined for a 3.84-to-1 ratio favouring gainers, with traded volume touching 10.98 million shares.
* Top percentage gainers on the TSX were Great Canadian Gaming Corp, which jumped 10.9 percent after reporting quarterly results.
* Second biggest percentage gainer was shares of Maxar Technologies Ltd, which rose 9.2 percent after signing a contract extension with the U.S. National Reconnaissance Office.
* Toromont Industries Ltd fell 7.1 percent, the most on the TSX, after reporting quarterly results that missed estimates.
* The most heavily traded shares by volume were those of The Green Organic Dutchman Holdings, Aurora Cannabis and Nemaska Lithium.
* The TSX posted two new 52-week highs and no new low.
* Across all Canadian issues, there were four new 52-week highs and seven new lows, with total volume touching 22.25 million shares. (Reporting by Shreyashi Sanyal in Bengaluru; Editing by James Emmanuel)
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