TORONTO -- The Toronto stock market closed at its highest level this year as it found support from rising metals and gold stocks.

The S&P/TSX composite index climbed 35.83 points at 13,017.93.

It's the first time the exchange has closed above the 13,000-mark since Dec. 31.

The Canadian dollar declined 0.07 of a U.S. cent to 74.48 cents US.

That came as the greenback strengthened against most major currencies amid renewed expectations of a rate hike by the Federal Reserve following encourage signs from the U.S. economy.

In New York, indexes ended in positive territory after a report from payroll processor ADP that private American employers added a healthy 214,000 jobs in February.

The Dow Jones industrial average jumped 34.24 points at 16,899.32, while the Nasdaq composite gained 13.82 points to 4,703.42.

The broader S&P 500 added just 8.1 points to 1,986.45.

On commodity markets, the April contract for benchmark U.S. crude edged up 26 cents to US$34.66 a barrel, while April gold added $11 to US$1,241.80 a troy ounce.

May copper rose four cents to US$2.18 a pound.

April natural gas was down six cents at US$1.68 per mmBtu.