* TSX down 38.75 points, or 0.27 percent, at 14,367.16
* Six of 10 main groups lower; tracking for 0.7 percent
weekly fall
By Alastair Sharp
TORONTO, Aug 7 (Reuters) - Canada's main stock index slipped
on Friday, with shares in gold miners among the leading lights
and energy companies weighing heavily amid weakness in the
underlying commodities.
Miners helped limit the damage, with Barrick Gold Corp
ABX.TO jumping 6 percent to C$9.53, and Goldcorp Inc G.TO
advancing 2.3 percent to C$18.08. The materials group climbed
1.4 percent as the price of gold XAU= steadied. GOL/
The most influential weights included First Quantum Minerals
Ltd FM.TO , which fell 3.7 percent to C$9.90, and Encana Corp
ECA.TO , which declined 3.3 percent to C$9.09.
The overall energy group retreated 0.2 percent, with losses
offset by a move higher by Canadian Natural Resources CNQ.TO ,
up 0.8 percent to C$33.05.
U.S. crude CLc1 prices were down 0.9 percent to $44.27 a
barrel, while Brent crude LCOc1 lost 1.2 percent to
$48.95. O/R
"In terms of the divergence between commodity prices and the
performance of the energy stocks, it's a reflection of some
rotation that we're seeing in the market," said Craig Fehr,
Canadian market strategist at Edward Jones in St. Louis,
Missouri.
"When you consider the declines we've seen in the energy
space, there is some value there."
At 10:40 a.m. (1440 GMT), the Toronto Stock Exchange's
S&P/TSX composite index .GSPTSE was down 38.75 points, or 0.27
percent, at 14,367.16.
At the level, the index is on track to notch a 0.7 percent
fall in the holiday-shortened week.
Of the index's 10 main groups, six were in negative
territory.
Fehr said dual job reports from Canada and the United States
reflected the general trajectory of the economy in both
countries, with modest improvements for Canada and signs of a
more robust U.S. recovery.
"I do think equities can move higher, it's just going to be
a more volatile ride and certainly the gains are going to be
lower than we've seen in past years," he said.