May 3 (Reuters) - Canada's main stock index was little changed on Thursday as gains in material and financial stocks were offset by losses in energy shares, which tracked lower oil prices.
* At 9:51 a.m. ET (1351 GMT), the Toronto Stock Exchange's S&P/TSX Composite Index .GSPTSE rose 5.47 points, or 0.04 percent, to 15,633.4.
* Oil prices slipped as swelling U.S. crude inventories and record weekly U.S. production clashed with OPEC supply cuts and the potential for new U.S. sanctions against Iran. O/R
* The energy group, which was the biggest drag on the TSX, was down 0.9 percent.
* Weighing on the energy sector was shares of Canadian Natural Resources Ltd CNQ.TO , which fell 1.5 percent after Canada's largest independent petroleum producer reported quarterly results. Also hurting market sentiment was domestic data, which showed Canada's trade deficit in goods jumped to a record high in March on a surge in imports. The materials sector, up 0.9 percent, gained on the back of gold prices, which rose after the U.S. central bank reassured investors that increases to interest rates would be gradual. GOL/
* Shares of Manulife Financial Corp MFC.TO gained 3.2 percent after Canada's largest insurer reported an 18.3 percent jump in first-quarter earnings on Wednesday, boosting the heavyweight financial sector.
* Seven of the 10 main index sectors were higher.
* On the earnings front, Crescent Point Energy Corp CPG.TO fell 4.8 percent after the oil and gas producer reported a first-quarter loss as it sold Canadian crude at a bigger discount. SNC-Lavalin Group Inc SNC.TO reported a 13 percent fall in quarterly profit, hurt by higher costs, sending shares of the construction and engineering firm down 3.9 percent. Telecommunications company BCE Inc's
* The largest percentage gainer on the TSX was Parkland Fuel Corp PKI.TO , which rose 4.5 percent after the company reported first-quarter results.
* Norbord Inc OSB.TO , the largest decliner on the index, was down 6.5 percent after posting quarterly results.
* Among the most active Canadian stocks by volume was Bombardier Inc BBDb.TO , which reported a rise in its favoured measure of profit and agreed to sell its Toronto aircraft assembly site to a pension fund, sending shares of the plane and train maker up 1 percent. Manulife Financial and Neovasc Inc NVCN.TO were also among the most heavily traded stocks.
* Volume on the TSX index was 15.12 million shares. Total volume on Thursday was 28.17 million shares.