TORONTO (Reuters) - The Toronto Stock Exchange's benchmark index ended higher yesterday after a day of 100-point swings, which have become commonplace in recent weeks as the global credit crisis heightens investor anxiety.

The S&P/TSX composite index closed 60.76 points, or 0.5 percent, higher at 13,110.34. It climbed 100 points near the start, lost all of that and more, and then climbed 100 points again, before falling back a bit near the close.

The materials sector was the biggest gainer, up 1.4 percent, helped by strong commodity prices.

Energy and financial issues lagged, down 0.6 and 0.2 percent respectively.

In the materials sector, which saw a big sell-off last week, firmer gold prices helped Barrick Gold climb C$1.08, or 3.3 percent, to C$33.51, and Eldorado Gold to a gain of 28 Canadian cents, or 5.9 percent, to C$5.06.

Energy stocks took a hit after forecasts that Hurricane Dean would steer south of the oil-producing US Gulf of Mexico hurt oil prices and knocked natural gas back 14 percent.

Suncor Energy, dropped C$1.22, or 1.3 percent, to C$90.38, while EnCana Corp fell 55 Canadian cents, or 0.9 percent, to C$61.64.

In the financial sector, Bank of Montreal , which released a statement saying its Canadian money market funds had no exposure to nonbank-sponsored asset-backed commercial paper, slid C$1.51, or 2.3 percent, to C$64.78.

Meanwhile, National Bank of Canada said it would acquire about C$2 billion in asset-backed commercial paper held by group mutual and pooled funds, in addition to retail clients, in line with an agreement reached last week by 10 financial institutions, and endorsed by Canada's big banks, to ease the credit crunch in the country's ABCP market.

National Bank rose four Canadian cents, or 0.1 percent, to C$54.84.

Elsewhere, Finance Minister Jim Flaherty, speaking to reporters after a speech in Ottawa to the annual conference of the Association of Municipalities of Ontario, said steps taken so far to address the global credit crunch have "worked adequately".