TORONTO (Reuters) - The Toronto Stock Exchange's main index overcame early losses to end higher yesterday, boosted by resource shares and expectations of another US interest rate cut later in the week.

After falling more than 100 points in the morning, strong resource shares helped prop the index up, with the materials sector gaining 2.1 percent and the gold-producers sub-sector up 1.7 percent.

Barrick Gold rose C$1.28, or 2.4 percent, to C$53.77, and Yamana Gold was up 76 Canadian cents, or 4.9 percent, at C$16.46, while the price of bullion touched a record high.

Also in the resource group, Potash Corp of Saskatchewan climbed C$6.22, or 4.6 percent, to C$140.20.

The financials sector, the biggest on the index, also contributed to the rally, adding 0.9 percent, as investors were optimistic of another interest rate cut from the US Federal Reserve tomorrow.

The S&P/TSX composite index closed up 92.08 points, or 0.71 percent, at 12,986.91, pulled higher in a late-day rally. Six of the TSX's 10 main sectors ended in positive territory.

Last week, an emergency rate cuts by the Fed, plus a smaller cut by the Bank of Canada in its scheduled rate announcement, helped pull the Toronto index out of a massive five-day slump.

"The market is fixated on yet another interest rate reduction, so investors are hoping that there will be positive implications for the banks," said John Ing, president of Maison Placements Canada.

Bank of Montreal rose C$1.35, or 2.4 percent, to C$56.75 and National Bank of Canada gained 87 Canadian cents, or 1.8 percent, to C$49.87.

The influential energy sector reversed direction to end higher, while the price of crude bounced higher amid expectations that OPEC will maintain output levels.

Petro-Canada added 45 Canadian cents, or one percent, to C$46.76, and Nexen Inc rose 32 Canadian cents, or 1.2 percent, to C$28.16. The overall sector was up 0.5 percent.

On the downside, the small telecoms group was off 1.1 percent. BCE Inc was down C$1.34, or 3.7 percent, at C$34.95 amid worries that the buyout of Canada's biggest communications company could be delayed or fall apart.