The strength of base metals and energy stocks helped Canada's main stock index rise in late morning trading, while US stock markets were mixed.

The S&P/TSX Composite index rose 81.90 points to 20953.79 after falling more than 200 points on Tuesday.

In New York, the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 87.51 points to 38467.63. The S&P 500 index rose 3.06 points to 4945.87, while the Nasdaq Composite index fell 16.29 points to 15581.39.

The Canadian dollar traded at 74.02 US cents compared to 73.93 cents on Tuesday.

The March crude oil contract rose 30 cents to $73.08 per barrel, while the March natural gas contract fell six cents to $2.02 per million British thermal units.

The April gold contract rose $9.70 to $2052.60 per ounce, and the March copper contract rose two cents to $3.79 per pound.