TORONTO (Reuters) - Toronto's main stock index rose more than one percent yesterday to its highest closing level of 2009, as a commodity price rally and firm US data spurred gains in heavily weighted materials, energy and financial shares.

The S&P/TSX composite index rose 163.79 points, or 1.45 percent, at 11,495.83, its highest close since October.

Six of the index's 10 main groups advanced, led by a 2.44 percent gain in materials and a 2.03 percent climb in energy. The influential financials group was up 1.14 percent.

"Gold is up...back over $1,000 and that's got all our gold stocks going again and from the other side oil is doing well and is back over $70 again, and the financials are even helping a little bit here," said John Kinsey, portfolio manager at Caldwell Securities Ltd in Toronto.

"We're kind of hitting on all three cylinders."

Leading stocks yesterday included oil companies Suncor Energy, up 3.5 percent at C$38.65, and Canadian Natural Resources , up 2.7 percent at C$73.04.

Gold-mining issues rose as prices for the yellow metal held over $1,000 an ounce and some producers predicted it could go a lot higher.

Goldcorp was up 2.7 percent at C$45.44, while Kinross advanced 2.84 percent to C$24.60.

Canadian bond prices were mostly lower as the reassuring U.S. economic data pushed investors toward riskier assets.

Toronto stocks rose steadily from midmorning to the close, while US stocks were also encouraged by the day's economic data. Bonds and stocks typically trade inversely.

The two-year bond slipped two Canadian cents to C$99.53 to yield 1.244 percent, while the 10-year bond fell 3 Canadian cents to C$103.10 to yield 3.372 percent. The 30-year bond, however, rose 20 Canadian cents to C$118.60 to yield 3.896 percent.

Canadian bonds mostly outperformed their US counterparts. The Canadian 10-year bond yield moved to 7.9 basis points below its US counterpart, compared with 5.6 basis points on Monday.