* At 10:00 a.m. ET (15:00 GMT), the Toronto Stock Exchange's S&P/TSX composite index inched up 2.25 points, or 0.02 percent, at 14,428.87.

* The Canadian dollar strengthened to a nearly four-week high against its U.S. counterpart as oil prices climbed and the greenback broadly declined, while investors awaited a Bank of Canada interest rate decision later in the week.

* Healthcare sector rose 2.1 percent, the most among 11 TSX sectors.

* The energy sector dropped 1.1 percent, despite an increase in oil prices.

* Peyto Exploration & Development Corp fell 3.8 percent, leading declines among energy shares, after brokerage RBC downgraded its stocks expecting natural gas pricing to fall.

* U.S. crude prices were up 1.3 percent per barrel, while Brent crude added 1.6 percent. [O/R]

* The financials sector dropped 0.3 percent, while the industrials sector edged down 0.1 percent.

* The materials sector, which includes precious and base metals miners and fertilizer companies, shed 0.2 percent.

* On the TSX, 103 issues were higher, while 123 issues declined for a 1.19-to-1 ratio to the downside, with traded volumes touching 14.50 million shares.

* The largest percentage gainers on the TSX were Centerra Gold Inc, which surged 4.3 percent and Alamos Gold Inc, which rose 3.3 percent.

* Cascades Inc fell 4.8 percent, the most on the TSX. The second biggest decliner was Freehold Royalties Ltd, down 3.6 percent.

* The most heavily traded shares by volume were ClearStream Energy Services Inc, Bombardier Inc and Crescent Point Energy Corp.

* The TSX posted no new 52-week high and one new low.

* Across all Canadian issues, there were two new 52-week highs and four new lows, with total traded volume touching 29.72 million shares.

(Reporting by Medha Singh in Bengaluru; Editing by James Emmanuel)