CANADA STOCKS-Tech and Barrick Gold help lift TSX to 12-day high

By Avinash P and Fergal Smith

Nov 24 (Reuters) - Canada's main stock index rose 1.5% on Monday, helped by gains for technology and gold mining shares, as rising bets on a U.S. interest rate cut lifted investor sentiment.

The S&P/TSX composite index .GSPTSE ended up 443.70 points at 30,604.35, its highest closing level since November 12 when it posted a record closing high.

Wall Street stocks also advanced, extending Friday's rally, as increased odds that the Federal Reserve will lower its key Fed funds target rate in December helped investors look past concerns over inflated tech valuations.

The week marks the beginning of the U.S. holiday shopping season, starting with Thanksgiving on Thursday and extending through the retail bonanzas of Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

"This is seasonally one of the strongest weeks for equities in the U.S. and there's a correlation to Canada," said Matt Skipp, president of SW8 Asset Management.

"You've had a pretty big price correction into this week. So I'm expecting a stronger week."

The materials group .GSPTTMT, which includes metal mining shares, rose 5.1% as the price of gold XAU= climbed.

Barrick Mining Corp ABX.TO said it had reached an agreement with Mali's government to resolve all their disputes over the Loulo-Gounkoto gold mining complex after two years. Its shares climbed 8.5% to eclipse the record closing high from December 2010.

Technology .SPTTTK advanced 5.5%, with shares of electronics equipment company Celestica Inc CLS.TO up nearly 15%.

Heavily weighted financials .SPTTFS added 0.5% and energy .SPTTEN was up 0.2%. The price of oil CLc1 settled 1.3% higher at $58.84 a barrel amid mounting doubts about whether Russia will get a peace deal with Ukraine that will boost Moscow's oil exports.

Among the sectors that lost ground was consumer staples <.GSPTTCS>, which fell 1.6%.