* TSX ends up 37.98 points, or 0.2%, at 21,594.52

* Consumer staples sector climbs 1.3%

* Pretium Resources Inc jumps 19.1%

TORONTO, Nov 9 (Reuters) - Canada's main stock index edged up to a record high on Tuesday as investors welcomed a seasonally strong period for the market and rotated into some of the defensive sectors that have lagged the recent rally.

The Toronto Stock Exchange's S&P/TSX composite index ended up 37.98 points, or 0.2%, at 21,594.52, a record closing high.

"Given the seasonally strong period that we're in right now - November, December - I don't think there is anything on the horizon that is going to derail the rally between now and the end of the year," said Philip Petursson, chief investment strategist at IG Wealth Management.

The Toronto market has mostly closed higher since early October, helped by gains for some heavily weighted sectors such as energy and financials.

"We are seeing some rotation into some of the defensive laggards," Petursson said.

Defensive sectors, such as consumer staples and utilities, tend to be less sensitive to the economic climate than some other groups.

The consumer staples sector climbed 1.3%, adding to gains since the beginning of the month, while utilities ended 0.2% higher.

Gains for the TSX came despite a lower close on Wall Street as profit-taking and worries over ongoing inflation fueled a broad sell-off.

The largest percentage gainer on the TSX was Premium Resources Inc, up 19.1%, after Australia's Newcrest Mining Ltd said it would buy the rest of the Canadian miner in a deal that values the company at $2.8 billion.

The White House said it is not contemplating shutting down Enbridge Inc's Line 5 pipeline after Canada last month invoked a 1977 treaty with the United States to trigger bilateral negotiations over it. Shares of Enbridge ended down 0.1%. (Reporting by Fergal Smith; Additional reporting by Amal S in Bengaluru; Editing by Dan Grebler)