(Adds portfolio manager quotes, updates prices, adds details)
* TSX ends up 101.59 points, or 0.76 percent, at 13,469.83
* Eight of the TSX's 10 main groups rise
By Fergal Smith
TORONTO, Nov 30 (Reuters) - Canada's main stock index
rallied on Monday, led by strength in resource stocks and as
financials rose ahead of bank earnings reports this week but the
index lost 0.4 percent in November.
The market saw some month-end rebalancing, according to
Youssef Zohny, portfolio manager at StennerZohny Investment
Partners of Richardson GMP in Vancouver.
The Toronto Stock Exchange's S&P/TSX composite index
.GSPTSE closed up 101.59 points, or 0.76 percent, at
13,469.83, with eight of the index's 10 main groups in positive
territory.
The energy group rallied 1.5 percent despite U.S. crude oil
prices unwinding earlier gains to close lower on the day. O/R
Suncor Energy Inc SU.TO rose 2.5 percent to C$36.90. After
the close, the Alberta Securities Commission said shareholders
in Canadian Oil Sands COS.TO should have until Jan. 4, 2016 to
consider Suncor's hostile takeover bid.
Canadian Oil Sands gained 2.8 percent to C$8.56, while
Canadian Natural Resources CNQ.TO added 1.8 percent at
C$32.34.
The materials sector advanced 2.4 percent, helped by firming
in the price of gold and gains for fertilizer stocks.
Potash Corp POT.TO rose 3.6 percent to C$27.03, while
Agrium Inc AGU.TO was up 2.8 percent at C$131.84 and Barrick
Gold Corp ABX.TO was up 3.8 percent at C$9.83.
The index moved back in reach of the Nov. 20 peak at
13,514.77, the top of the recent consolidation pattern, and
could move higher if commodity prices stabilize, Zohny said.
He added that pending economic data and potential rate hikes
from the U.S. Federal Reserve could feed market volatility over
the next couple of months.
Financials firmed 0.4 percent ahead of fourth-quarter
results from Bank of Nova Scotia BNS.TO and Bank of Montreal
BMO.TO on Tuesday.
It included a 1.1 percent gain for Royal Bank of Canada
RY.TO to C$76.08 and a 0.8 percent gain for Manulife Financial
Corp MFC.TO to C$21.98.
BlackBerry Ltd BB.TO shares rose 2.0 percent to C$10.62.
The company delayed a possible shutdown in Pakistan as talks
with authorities continued over access to customer data.
Valeant Pharmaceuticals International Inc (N:VRX) VRX.TO added 4.5
percent to C$120.35.
Convenience store operator Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc
ATDb.TO was a drag, falling 1.5 percent to C$60.88.
U.S. crude CLc1 prices settled at $41.65 a barrel, down
0.14 percent, while Brent crude LCOc1 lost 0.7 percent to
$44.55. O/R
Gold futures GCc1 rose 0.9 percent to $1,064.7 an ounce.
GOL/