Canada's main stock index posted modest gains Wednesday as gains in energy and technology, among other sectors, helped outweigh weakness in base metals, while U.S. markets were mixed. 

The S&P/TSX Composite Index was up 85.76 points, or 0.43 per cent, at 19,818.85.

In New York, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 74.08 points at 33,852.66. The S&P 500 Index was down 1.55 points at 4,376.86, while the Nasdaq Composite was up 36.08 points at 13,591.75.

The Canadian dollar traded for 75.45 cents U.S. compared with 75.90 cents U.S. on Tuesday.

The August crude contract was up US$1.86 at US$69.56 per barrel and the August natural gas contract was down 12 cents at US$2.67 per mm/BTU.

The August gold contract was down US$1.60 at US$1,922.20 an ounce and the September copper contract was down five cents at US$3.74 a pound.