(Reuters) - Canada's main stock index slipped on Friday after a much stronger-than-expected inflation data bolstered expectations of an interest rate hike as early as next month.
* At 9:34 a.m. ET (13:34 GMT), the Toronto Stock Exchange's S&P/TSX composite index .GSPTSE was down 28.02 points, or 0.17 percent, at 16,197.63. The index was headed to end the week 0.7 percent lower.
* Canada's annual inflation rate accelerated to 3.0 percent, beating a 2.5 percent rise forecast by analysts polled by Reuters. The Bank of Canada, which raised interest rates in July for the fourth time in a year, has an inflation target of 2.0 percent.
* Chances of a September hike rose to nearly 30 percent from less than 20 percent the day earlier, as indicated by the overnight index swaps market. .BOCWATCH
* Canada's energy regulator said on Thursday it had given the go-ahead for the construction of a large portion of the Trans Mountain expansion project, which will nearly triple capacity on the oil pipeline from Alberta to a Vancouver area port. Eight of the 11 major sectors were in the red, led by the financial sector .SPTTFS , which was down 0.2 percent.
The biggest drags were Brookfield Asset Management BAMa.TO , which fell 1.2 percent, and Manulife Financial Corp MFC.TO , which was down 0.6 percent.
* The energy sector .SPTTEN climbed 0.2 percent as oil prices rose by more than 1 percent O/R
* Oil prices gained on growing concerns that trade tensions and slowing global economic growth could hit demand for petroleum products.
* The materials sector .GSPTTMT , which includes precious and base metals miners and fertilizer companies, added 0.3 percent.
* Gold miners boosted the materials index, with Barrick Gold Corp ABX.TO rising 2 percent, Wheaton Precious Metals WPM.TO 3 percent and Franco-Nevada Corp 1.7 percent.
* Gold futures GCc1 rose 0.2 percent to $1,178.8 an ounce, while copper prices CMCU3 fell 0.4 percent to $5,916.5 a tonne. GOL/ MET/L
* The biggest percentage gainers on the TSX were New Gold NGD.TO , which jumped 2.3 percent, and Centerra Gold CG.TO , which rose 2.3 percent.
* Aphria Inc 's APH.TO 3 percent drop was the biggest on the TSX, followed by Ivanhoe Mins Ltd's IVN.TO 2.9 percent fall.
* The most heavily traded shares by volume were Steppe Gold Ltd STGO.TO , Aurora Cannabis ACB.TO , and Lydian International Ltd LYD.TO .
* On the TSX, 108 issues were higher, while 127 issues declined for a 1.18-to-1 ratio to the downside, with 5.90 million shares traded.
* The TSX posted one new 52-week highs and four new lows.
* Across all Canadian issues there were five new 52-week highs and 10 new lows, with total volume of 11.56 million shares.