Miners Pan American Silver Corp PAAS.TO and Silvercorp Metals IncSVM.TO were the largest percentage gainers in the index. The materials sector .GSPTTMT, which includes precious and base metals miners and fertilizer companies, added 2.3% and was set for its best day in over a month, as gold futures GCc1 rose 1.2% to $1,783.4 an ounce, and copper prices also strengthened. The benchmark equity index snapped its five-day losing streak on Wednesday after Fed Chair Jerome Powell struck an upbeat tone about the U.S. economic recovery and expressed willingness to raise interest rates as necessary to control inflation.