*

TSX ends up 0.1% at 25,036.46

*

Energy adds 1%; oil settles 0.75% lower

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Consumer discretionary falls 0.9%

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Dollarama ( DLMAF ) ends down 3.3%

(Updates at market close)

By Fergal Smith

Nov 20 (Reuters) - Canada's main stock index inched

higher on Wednesday as gains for energy shares offset investor

reluctance to make big bets ahead of the release after the close

of an earnings report from U.S. megacap Nvidia ( NVDA ).

The S&P/TSX composite index ended up 25.69 points,

or 0.1%, at 25,036.46, stopping just short of the record closing

high it notched last Thursday at 25,049.67.

"Today isn't about the geopolitical risk that we started the

day yesterday with," said Philip Petursson, chief investment

strategist at IG Wealth Management. "Today seems to be a little

bit more hesitation about what's going to take this rally to

that next leg."

U.S. benchmark the S&P 500 was close to unchanged as

Ukraine fired long-range British Storm Shadow missiles into

Russian territory and investors awaited Nvidia's ( NVDA ) earnings.

Energy added 1% even as oil settled 0.75% lower at

$68.87 a barrel. Consumer staples was another bright spot. It

rose 0.6%, recouping some of the previous day's decline.

In contrast, the consumer discretionary group lost 0.9%,

with shares of retailer Dollarama ( DLMAF ) falling 3.3% to hit a

three-week low.

The Alberta government appointed former Canadian Prime

Minister Stephen Harper as chairman of the Alberta Investment

Management Corp, after dismissing the entire board earlier this

month because of low returns.