SU.TO	36.14	-0.34

By Alastair Sharp

TORONTO (Reuters) - Canada's main stock index rose on Monday, but by less than its U.S. peers, as investors bet on rate hikes sooner south of the border and lower oil prices weighed on the commodity-rich TSX.

"To the extent that rates remain low for longer domestically, that could make those higher-yielding sectors attractive to investors for perhaps longer than will be the case in the States," he said, highlighting utilities and to lesser degree telecom companies.

BCE Inc (Toronto:BCE.TO - News), the country's largest telecom company, rose 1 percent to C$62.25.

The energy group, which accounts for one-fifth of the index's weight, lost 0.2 percent as oil prices fell due to high output from Middle Eastern producers and a stronger U.S. dollar, in which the commodity is priced. [O/R]

Suncor Energy (Toronto:SU.TO - News), the country's largest producer, retreated 0.9 percent to C$36.14.

U.S. crude prices settled down 1.4 percent at $46.98.

The materials group, which includes precious and base metal miners and fertilizer companies, gained 1.2 percent.

Ivanhoe Mines Ltd (Toronto:IVN.TO - News) jumped 14.4 percent to C$1.91 after it said it planned to hire an investment bank to review expressions of interest the company and its projects have received.

Teck Resources Ltd (TCKb.TO) rose 8 percent to C$22.41.

Major gold miners also pushed the sector higher even as prices of the metal slid to a nearly five-week low. [GOL/]

(Editing by Lisa Von Ahn and Matthew Lewis)