CANADA STOCKS-Mining shares help lift TSX to near 2-year high

Canada's main stock index rose on Wednesday to a near two-year high, led by gains for the materials sector, as the Bank of Canada and the Federal Reserve continued to signal a move to lower interest rates ahead. The Toronto Stock Exchange's S&P/TSX composite index ended up 68.03 points, or 0.3%, at 21,593.96, its highest closing level since April 2022. There was a lack of "hawkish" surprises from the BoC and the Fed, said Ian Chong, a portfolio manager at First Avenue Investment Counsel Inc.