CANADA STOCKS-TSX slips on first trading day of 2014

    * TSX falls 27.36 points, or 0.2 percent, to 13,594.19 
    * Seven of 10 main index sectors decline 
    * Bombardier up after winning jet order 
 
    By John Tilak 
    TORONTO, Jan 2 (Reuters) - Canada's main stock index fell on 
Thursday after signs of a slowdown in China's manufacturing 
industry helped fuel declines in the energy and financial 
sectors, offsetting gains in gold-mining shares.  
    A selloff in oil prices, as Libya prepared to restart a 
major oilfield and market speculation of a rise in crude 
stockpiles in Cushing, Oklahoma, further dampened investor 
sentiment.  O/R  
    Official and private manufacturing surveys showed Chinese 
factory activity moderated in December.    Data 
indicating that U.S. manufacturing grew in December at its 
fastest pace in 11 months failed to give investors a boost. 
   
    The export-driven Canadian market eased on the first trading 
day of 2014, after recording a 9.6 percent gain last year, when 
equity markets rallied on the back of liquidity injected into 
the market by the U.S. Federal Reserve. 
    "The overwhelming theme we're likely to see in 2014 could be 
the same theme we saw in 2013, which is the eventual withdrawal 
of the extraordinary monetary stimulus we've seen in the United 
States and all over the world," said Craig Lazzara, global head 
of index investment strategy at S&P Dow Jones Indices. 
    "You would expect interest rates would go up; you would 
expect that to flow through the entire global financial system, 
certainly including Canada," he added. 
    The Toronto Stock Exchange's S&P/TSX composite index 
   closed down 27.36 points, or 0.20 percent, at 
13,594.19.  
    Investors were cautious about the prospects for the Toronto 
stock market, whose gains in 2013 badly trailed those of U.S. 
indexes. 
    "I think we're going to have positive returns, but it's 
pretty hard to get too excited (about the Canadian market)," 
said Luciano Orengo, a portfolio manager at Manulife Asset 
Management, who expects high single-digit gains for the TSX in 
2014. 
    Investors should, however, look for pockets of strength 
within the resource groups. 
    "There could be some upside surprises in the energy sector 
as U.S. investors look for better bargains in Canada and you 
could have a resurgence of mining companies," Orengo said. 
    Seven of the 10 main sectors on the index were in the red on 
Thursday. 
    With the price of U.S. crude oil    shedding almost 3 
percent, energy shares dropped. 
    Suncor Energy Inc    gave back 1.2 percent to C$36.79, 
and Canadian Natural Resources Ltd    lost 1.6 percent to 
C$35.35. 
    Financials, the index's most heavily weighted sector, 
declined 0.6 percent. Toronto Dominion Bank    slipped 0.4 
percent to C$98.87. 
    But the materials sector added 2.1 percent, helped by a 4.4 
percent jump in shares of gold producers, supported by a higher 
bullion price.  GOL/  
    Goldcorp Inc    climbed 4.7 percent to C$24.13, and 
Barrick Gold Corp    gained 4.4 percent to C$19.54. 
    Shares of Bombardier Inc    edged up to C$4.64 after 
the company said late on Tuesday that it received a firm order 
from an undisclosed customer for 38 business aircraft in a deal 
valued at about $2.2 billion.        
 
 (Editing by Nick Zieminski and Leslie Adler) 
 ((john.tilak@thomsonreuters.com)(1-416-687-7918)(Reuters 
Messaging: john.tilak.reuters.com@reuters.net)) 
  
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