CANADA STOCKS-TSX edges higher as some miners, banks gain
(Adds details on specific stocks, updates prices)
* TSX up 14.45 points, or 0.09 percent, to 15,456.77
* Six of the TSX's 10 main groups move higher
TORONTO, March 21 (Reuters) - Canada's main stock index barely rose on Tuesday as some heavyweight banking stocks and miners notched gains and Ivanhoe Mines Ltd (Toronto: IVN.TO - news) jumped after announcing a copper deposit discovery.
The most influential movers on the index included Barrick Gold Corp, which advanced 1.2 percent to C$25.76.
The world's largest gold producer said a World Bank arbitration tribunal had ruled in favor of it and joint venture partner Antofagasta plc (Other OTC: ANFGF - news) over a copper project in Pakistan.
Ivanhoe Mines jumped 8.6 percent to C$4.67 after it said it had discovered more copper at its mine in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
But several base metal miners featured on the negative side of the ledger as copper prices fell, with First Quantum Minerals (LSE: 0P6E.L - news) Ltd down 1.6 percent at C$14.19 and Lundin Mining Corp falling 3.1 percent to C$7.81.
The materials group, which includes precious and base metals miners and fertilizer companies, added 0.5 percent overall.
At 10:49 a.m. ET (1449 GMT), the Toronto Stock Exchange's S&P/TSX composite index was up 14.45 points, or 0.09 percent, to 15,456.77. Six of the index's 10 main groups were in positive territory and advancers slightly outnumbered decliners overall.
The heavyweight financials group gained 0.3 percent, recovering some of its losses from the prior two sessions as bond yields perked up. The country's largest lender, Royal Bank of Canada, advanced 0.7 percent to C$97, while insurer Manulife Financial Corp (Dusseldorf: MLU.DU - news) fell 0.8 percent to C$23.82.
Consumer staples stocks gained 0.4 percent.
Canadian retail sales rebounded in January with the largest gain in nearly seven years as spending rose across most sectors, led by an increase in purchases of cars, Statistics Canada said on Tuesday. (Reporting by Alastair Sharp; Editing by Nick Zieminski)