(Updates prices, adds sector details) May 26 (Reuters) - Canada’s main stock index rose on Wednesday, supported by material stocks as gold prices jumped on the back of softer Treasury yields after U.S. Federal Reserve officials downplayed inflation concerns. * The materials sector, which includes precious and base metals miners and fertilizer companies, added 1.3% as gold futures climbed 0.4% an ounce. * At 09:37 a.m. ET (13:37 GMT), the Toronto Stock Exchange’s S&P/TSX composite index was up 76.5 points, or 0.39%, at 19,640.62. * Bank of Montreal fell 0.1% even after strongly beating analysts’ estimates for quarterly results as it set aside fewer provisions than expected and its capital markets unit swung to a profit. * Canadian National Railway rose 1.3% after saying it would divest Kansas City Southern’s 70-mile rail line between New Orleans and Baton Rouge to eliminate the only overlap between the two railroad operators. * Canada’s biggest pension managers boosted their investments in the country’s major oil sands companies in the first quarter of 2021, raising questions about the funds’ recent commitments to greening their portfolios. * The energy sector climbed 0.4% even as U.S. crude prices were down 0.9% a barrel, while Brent crude lost 0.7%. * The financials sector remained unchanged, while industrials rose 0.5%. * On the TSX, 142 issues advanced, while 77 issues declined in a 1.84-to-1 ratio favoring gainers, with 17.05 million shares traded. * The largest percentage gainers on the TSX were BlackBerry Ltd, which jumped 5.6% to a 3-week high, and Teck Resources that rose 3.9% after Deutsche raised the stock’s target price. * Capital Power Corp fell 4.4%, the most on the TSX, after announcing bought offering of common shares. * The second biggest decliner was iA Financial Corp , down 2.3%. * The most heavily traded shares by volume were Great-West Lifeco and Sun Life Financial. * The TSX posted seven new 52-week highs and no new low. * Across Canadian issues, there were 22 new 52-week highs and three new lows, with total volume of 28.63 million shares.