The S&P 500, London's FTSE 100 and the TSX and Venture Exchanges' composite indices all closed higher yesterday, while the S&P/ASX 200 breached the 6,100 point mark in early trade.

Teck Resources (CN:TECK.A) closed slightly higher in Toronto, in London Rio Tinto (LN:RIO) barely changed while Glencore (LN:GLEN) lost just over 1% and BHP (AU:BHP) headed slightly higher in Australian trade this afternoon.

Gold stocks were also mixed in Toronto, with Goldcorp (CN:G) rising 1.27% and Barrick Gold (CN:ABX) easing just over 1%.

The gold price dropped back after yesterday's gains and was earlier trading around US$1,307 an ounce.

Having started the year with a burst, larger capitalised Australian miners were among the biggest decliners on the local index in afternoon trade today, with gold miner St Barbara (AU:SBM) down around 5%.

Fellow gold producers Saracen Mineral Holdings (AU:SAR) and Evolution Mining (AU:EVN) also dropped, as did diversified Independence Group (AU:IGO).