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TSX ends up 0.1% at 21,849.15

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For the week, the index gains 0.5%

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Materials sector adds 2%

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Copper hits highest since April 2022

(Updates at market close)

By Fergal Smith

March 15 (Reuters) - Canada's main stock index edged

higher on Friday to notch its fifth straight weekly gain, led by

gains for the materials group as copper prices climbed to a near

one-year high.

The Toronto Stock Exchange's S&P/TSX composite index

ended up 19.3 points, or 0.1%, at 21,849.15, trading

near its highest closing level since April 2022.

For the week, the index was up 0.5%. The weekly winning

streak was the longest in 11 months.

"The big thing we're seeing is a nice rotation into some of

the cyclicals," said Greg Taylor, a portfolio manager at Purpose

Investments.

"That had been something that held back the TSX for the last

six months ... but this week has been pretty positive with oil

going over 80 bucks and copper breaking out over 4 (dollars)."

Copper rose 2% to trade at its highest level since

April last year as investors weighed a potential output cut in

top producer China, while oil settled at $81.04 a barrel,

trading near a four-month high.

Resource shares have a roughly 30% weighting on the Toronto

market. The materials group, which includes precious and base

metals miners and fertilizer companies, added 1%.

"We are seeing that rotation as the techs and semis

(semiconductor stocks) that have been leading are coming under a

little pressure," Taylor said.

The technology sector fell 0.8%, with shares of BlackBerry

Ltd ( BB ) falling 7.7%. Still, the sector has gained 6.5%

since the start of the year.